


Going All In

by anonfanfic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Druglord au, F/F, Modern AU, drug lord/spy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2018-11-12 04:28:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11154243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonfanfic/pseuds/anonfanfic
Summary: It was a mission to bring down one of the most powerful drug families in Vegas. It was suppose to be in and out with no strings attached. Neither of them meant to fall for each other. Neither knew that once they met, nothing would be the same. Now Clarke and Lexa have to find a way to be together no matter what the cost.





	1. On Your Mark

**Author's Note:**

> This is my drug lord/spy AU I have been playing around with for ages. I really hope you all enjoy the story! I would love to hear what you think. Leave me some kudos, reviews, or find me on Tumblr: @anonfanfic 
> 
> Thank you to hedahaven and amazoniankryptonian on Tumblr for being amazing humans and looking over this chapter for me. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Clarke saw the familiar building lighting up on the Strip. She had come to know this route well over the last three months. The air always seemed electric no matter what time she found herself walking into the casino.

When the doors opened, she immediately smelled the stale scent of cigarette smoke hanging in the air. It made her fingers twitch at her sides as she passed the banks of slot machines. She could nearly taste the tobacco on her tongue. Clarke hadn’t had a full cigarette in days. One of the drawbacks of going undercover was being available at any point during the day or night. It also meant changing aspects of yourself to seem more appealing to your target. The goal was to get your mark to trust you enough to confide information that would help in the takedown.

Clarke took a deep breath as she walked by an elderly woman with light purple hair chain smoking at one of the loud, bright machines. She pulled the handle with such aggression that Clarke thought her tiny arm may fall off. The cigarette dangling between her thin lips looked like it would slip out at any minute. 

The dials spun rapidly behind the thick glass. It never stopped hypnotizing Clarke no matter how many times she watched it. She wasn’t even playing. It was still a rush to see where the dials would land. Clarke heard the old woman curse at the machine when the dials stopped moving. Two blue 7’s appeared on two of the squares and the other was blank.

‘So close,’ Clarke thought as the woman took a long drag from her cigarette, the ashes falling carelessly to the carpet beneath her. 

Clarke smiled to herself and shook her head. Even though the woman’s luck wasn’t on her side, Clarke knew she would continue to play. It was a rush. But for every clanging bell or blaring alarm she heard from the floor, there were thousands losing everything they had just because they needed one more time to hit it big. 

“Griffin,” Raven’s voice crackled to life in the microscopic earpiece in her right ear. “What’s taking so damn long? She was expecting you ten minutes ago.”

Clarke turned her right wrist up to look at her rose gold watch. “Shit,” Clarke murmured, as she doubled her pace through the busy casino floor. She had worked too hard to blow the mission watching some lady lose her pension on the slots.

“I’m almost there,” Clarke whispered.

Raven did tend live up to her name; she was always chirping in Clarke’s ear like a bird.

She saw the familiar golden double doors that lead to a dimly lit back hallway. This was where the real money exchanged hands. No one except a few specific people saw what happened behind these doors. Clarke pulled the metal door handle forward and walked into the cold, cement hall. 

The sounds of the casino fell silent as the heavy doors shut behind Clarke. She felt like she was in a completely different place now. Clarke turned to her right and saw a big man standing in front of a black metal door. The words ‘Private’ were painted in large red letters across the center.

“Gus,” Clarke nodded to the bearded man. “How’s it hanging?”

Gus flexed his gigantic arms and rolled his shoulders back. “She’s expecting you,” he responded, his tone dismissive and bored. His hardened expression unchanging as he reached for the handle behind him.

“Nice to see you too buddy.” Clarke rolled her eyes and walked past him as he opened the door for her.

Gus only grumbled as Clarke entered the room. It was the normal exchange she had with Lexa’s bodyguard. He hadn’t seemed to like her being around from day one. That didn’t stop Clarke from messing with him at every chance she got. 

Lexa looked up from behind her large wooden desk. Clarke watched her check the clock on her desk and tap it a few times with the pen she was holding. They both knew the clock was working fine; Lexa was making a point. Clarke heard the door click shut behind her. They were alone now.

“Funny,” Lexa put down the pen and stood up. She leaned forward and placed her fingertips on the top of the glossy, dark wood. “I thought we had agreed you would be here fifteen minutes ago.”

“I got held up.” Clarke walked over to the seats in front of Lexa’s desk and sat down. Confidence was key when dealing with any member of the Woods family. If you showed any sign of weakness, you found yourself out on your ass at best. If they wanted to make an example out of you, they'd give you a pair of cement shoes free of charge and a one-way ticket to the bottom of a lake. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” she finished respectfully.

Lexa’s eyes narrowed as she processed Clarke’s words. She sat back down behind her desk and folded her arms across her chest. “Don’t let it happen again.” Clarke could hear the warning in Lexa’s tone. If Clarke continued to push the rules, it would leave Lexa with no choice but to punish her. Clarke nodded and felt her heartbeat slow when she saw Lexa relax and lean back into her plush leather seat.

“Is there any word from our newest source?” Lexa quickly turned the conversation to business.

The biggest reason Clarke had gotten into Lexa’s inner circle was the information she gave Lexa. She could tell Lexa about her rivals from her various sources. Her sources happened to be Raven and her incredible hacking skills. She had gotten into the police database and now anything the cops knew, they knew too.

“Nia’s got a big shipment coming in a few days.”

Lexa nodded. “Weapons?” she asked, moving to pick up the pen she had been holding earlier.

“For defense only.” Clarke knew that Lexa felt the same way she did about killing. It was only an option if it was the last resort. If they could avoid confrontation with Nia’s people, that would be best.

“I’ll send Anya’s team. They’ll be able to get in and out without detection.”

Both women fell into a comfortable silence as they thought about their next move. Clarke found herself seeking out more alone time with Lexa. She was different without the others around, softer perhaps. It was like she didn’t have to put on a tough front with Clarke. It should have excited Clarke that Lexa was relaxing in her presence. She was doing her job well and getting close to the target. But Clarke felt a pang in her chest. The mission would be over soon and that meant leaving Lexa. Not only leaving her, but abandoning her with the world crumbling around her.

Clarke heard a crackling in her ear and knew Raven wanted to talk to her. Lexa had gone back to whatever paperwork was lying scattered across her desk.

“I’m going to see if I can get more information about Nia’s drop. We don’t want any surprises,” Clarke stated, rising from her seat slowly. Lexa didn’t even look up from her paperwork, she just nodded.

Clarke walked to the door. The crackling in her ear was becoming more frequent, which meant Raven was getting impatient as usual. She was about to turn the knob when Lexa called her name.

“Clarke,” Lexa was looking right at her when she turned back to the desk. “Would you join me for dinner tonight in the casino restaurant, around six?”

Clarke’s mind immediately went to the worst case scenario. Lexa’s face revealed nothing. Clarke felt her body reacting to her growing nerves despite herself. Her stomach felt like it was made of lead. Her throat was closing and felt like it was filled with glass. 

“Sure,” Clarke tried to keep her voice even and put a small smile on her face. “Is this your way of seducing me?” Clarke asked, trying to gauge Lexa’s reaction.

Lexa just looked at Clarke and lifted an eyebrow. Clarke wished more than anything she could take back what she had just said.

“I’ll see you at six,” Clarke stuttered, moving quickly to the door, nearly tripping over herself as Raven’s angry voice rumbled in her ear.

“Griffin!” Whatever Raven needed it must have been important to risk talking to her while she was still with Lexa. “Keep me waiting one more minute, I dare you.”

Clarke opened the door in one movement, not looking back again. She walked back into the noisy casino before she answered Raven.

“Sorry, I was - ya know - doing my job,” Clarke scoffed.

“Since when does doing your job include making heart eyes at the target?” Raven jeered. Clarke knew Raven had a sly grin on her face even without seeing her.

"You're real funny, Reyes." Clarke passed by the rows of slot machines and saw the same old lady sitting and staring at the bright screen. She wasn't moving to pull the handle anymore. Clarke stopped her strides long enough to make sure the woman was still breathing.

"Remember Lexa is our target until her dad gets back into the country. I have to try and get as much information from her as I can. That way we can get to him and bring the operation down for good."

“And you assume trying to get in her pants is the quickest way to get all that information?” Raven was in rare form tonight.

Clarke rolled her eyes and stopped at the large wall of sliding doors that lead outside. She was not looking forward to walking back to their hotel room in the heavy, dry air.

“Did you want something or was this your attempt to drive me crazy?” Clarke sighed, putting her hands on her hips and staring at the people walking by outside. The sun had started to fade. The Strip's attractions shined like millions of tiny diamonds.

“Kane wants an update on our progress. We have a conference call in 45 minutes.”

Clarke was about to protest, but Raven cut her off. “Don’t worry, I heard all about your little date tonight. You’ll be free in plenty of time to meet up with Lexa.”

Clarke could feel a heat that had nothing to do with the desert sun creeping up her cheeks. It was in that moment she made the choice to give herself a break from the reality she was in for a while.

“I’m going offline until our meeting.” Clarke made sure her tone left no room for argument. Though she knew that Raven would put up a fight no matter what she said.

“Clar-” Raven’s voice cut off abruptly as Clarke clicked off the receiver pack she had hidden on her lower back.

She set her watch alarm to go off in 30 minutes, knowing it would take her about ten to get back to their hotel room. Until that alarm went off Clarke needed to let herself go. There had been so much happening the last few months and Clarke wasn’t sure what to think anymore.

She turned away from the glass doors and pulled out a twenty from her front pocket. Clarke went right to the blackjack table. It was a game she was quite familiar with and loved to play when she got time.

Clarke slid her twenty across the felt material that covered the table.

She watched as the dealer counted out her chips and slid them to her before starting the first hand.

Clarke let her mind drift away from the chaos of the mission. All she wanted to think about was turning her $20 into $100 before her alarm went off.

A few hands later and Clarke was only 5 dollars up. She checked the time and saw that she still had twenty minutes.

"Mind if I sit in on the next hand?"

Clarke's back stiffened and her mind came flying back to reality. Lexa was standing right behind her on the left.

"Don't you sort of own this place?" Clarke turned her head and smiled at Lexa. She thought she did a great job hiding the shock she felt by Lexa's sudden appearance.

"Never hurts to be polite," Lexa grinned, shrugging her shoulders as she took the open seat next to Clarke. "Besides, my dad owns this place. He lets me babysit it when he's away on business." Lexa slid a crisp hundred onto the table.

"In the three months I've been around here I've only ever seen him once," Clarke stated as she played with the small pile of chips in front of her.

"He's a busy guy," Lexa responded, her tone tinged with a hint of sadness that made Clarke want to reach out to her in comfort. She stopped herself, not willing to cross a line and lose any progress she had made with Lexa.

The next hand began and neither girl spoke as they studied their cards on the table. Clarke could see Lexa out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't being shy about looking in Clarke's direction every couple of minutes. Clarke felt her face get a little warm as she tried to appear engrossed in her cards.

Time seemed to speed up and before Clarke knew it the alarm on her watch was beeping obnoxiously. Clarke wished she could take off the stupid piece of metal and throw it across the room. She wanted to shut out the world a little longer. If she was being honest, she wanted to sit next to Lexa longer and figure out as much as she could about the girl. Her interest in Lexa had gone beyond the mission. Clarke just wasn't ready to admit that to herself yet.

"Always rushing off into the shadows," Lexa joked, her eyes on the red chip she was flipping and turning in her long fingers.

"A little mystery makes life fun." Clarke started to scoop up her chips from the table.

"But a lot can kill you," Lexa muttered. Clarke knew that it was meant for only her ears. "I'll see you at dinner." Lexa got up from the table and walked away, not bothering with the pile of chips that had been in front of her.

The dealer looked at the pile and then back up at Clarke. He seemed to expect Clarke to grab the chips. The young man was clearly new to the job and surprised anyone would leave their money on the table.

What did it matter to Lexa though? It would all come back to her family anyway.

Clarke dropped her own chips that she had picked up and pushed them toward Lexa's abandoned pile.

"Looks like you got a good tip tonight," Clarke winked at the young man and his jaw dropped. "Don't spend it all in one place." Clarke patted the table before turning around and walking back to the main sliding doors. As she walked out into the sweltering air and got swept up in the crowd, she flipped on her receiver.

"I'm on my way, Raven." Clarke avoided a near collision with a very downtrodden man who pushed through the crowd.

"Oh, are we speaking now?" Raven responded grumpily. "Hurry up, the call is going through in 10 minutes."

Clarke picked up her pace and turned the corner onto the street where her hotel was located.

"I'll buy you a coffee later to make it up to you," Clarke tried to appease her grumpy partner.

"Don't do me any favors, Griffin. Let's just finish the mission."

Clarke couldn't help but smile at Raven's stubborn personality. She shook her head and let out a breathy laugh as she walked into the beautifully air conditioned lobby.

Their hotel wasn't as busy as the casino Clarke had just left. There were a few men sitting at the bar. All of them looked to be experiencing different stages of despair. 

One had his tie loosened and was nursing something amber colored on the rocks. The man a few stools down had his head in his hands with empty glasses surrounding him at the bar. The last man Clarke saw looked like he hadn't slept in days. His face was unshaven and his hair was messy as he stared at the walls of bottles behind the bar. There was a feeling of misery that seemed to come off of him in waves.

What had brought these men here? Clarke couldn't help but wonder as she moved to the banks of elevators to the right of the bar.

Lost everything gambling? It was the most likely scenario out here. Hopefully they didn't owe any Sharks money. Losing your life savings was one thing, but having your kneecaps shattered was a special kind of suffering.

Clarke felt a chill move up her spine at the thought. She had seen plenty of people walk into Lexa's office and crawl out when the meeting was complete. She reached up and pressed the 'up' arrow, waiting for the elevator that would bring her to her room.

Could that be why Lexa wanted to meet her tonight? She was disappointed with Clarke and now she would be an example of why you don't keep the boss waiting?

"T-minus three minutes." Raven's voice came to life in her head again.

"I'm here." Clarke spoke as she got onto the empty elevator and pressed the silver '6'. "Coming up right now."

Clarke took a steadying breath as the doors closed, once again leaving her with her thoughts.

What had Lexa meant when she said, 'A lot can kill you.'?

Clarke knew Lexa didn't tell her everything about her life. The same way Clarke was keeping most of her real identity a secret too. They lived their lives surrounded by secrets and lies. It was how they survived.

It was something about the way she said the words that stuck with Clarke. It was like she wanted to say more, but had stopped herself.

The elevator doors opened. Clarke's mind clicked back to the mission and their update call with Kane. She got off the elevator and took an immediate left, pulling out her key card to get into their room.

"Just in time, Princess." Raven didn't even bother to look up from the small hotel desk. Clarke walked into the room and let the heavy door shut behind her. Raven pointed to the large silver box in front of her which clearly did not belong to the hotel. 

"Call is going through now."

Clarke walked over and stood behind Raven as the phone started to buzz. The space surrounding the phone was a mess of tools and wires. Raven must have been busy in Clarke's absence.

After a few long buzzes, Kane's voice came through on the other end.

"Clarke? Raven?"

"We're here, boss," Raven replied, picking up a small screwdriver and spinning it in her palms.

"Good. We've got some new information about your target," Kane spoke plainly. "Woods is coming to you. He'll be staying in town for the remainder of the year. Our sources seem to think he'll be back in town as early as tomorrow night."

"I thought he was going to be in Mexico until the end of the week." Clarke was a little concerned by Lexa's father's abrupt change of plans.

"Something seems to be changing with Nia's team and it looks like he wants to be at home if anything goes down," Kane explained.

"He doesn't trust Lexa?" Clarke asked, not able to hide her curiosity about the situation.

"It appears he doesn't seem to think Lexa has the ability to run the business in a way he would see fit."

"So, she doesn't murder enough people? She didn't meet the company quota?" Clarke tried not to sound defensive, but judging from the expression on Raven's face she wasn't doing a great job. "She's trying not to draw too much attention to the operation. We all know the police are watching the situation on the Strip," Clarke explained and immediately regretted it.

Raven was now shooting her a warning look. They could hear a muffled whisper over the line before Kane spoke again.

“It’s not our job to settle family disagreements. You do remember your mission, right Clarke?” Kane asked pointedly.

There was only one answer Kane would accept and if Clarke didn’t convince him it was the truth, he would pull her from the mission. She wouldn’t even get to say goodbye to Lexa before they shoved her ass on a plane and onto the next job.

“I know the mission. I’ve got the situation under control.” Clarke looked down at Raven to see if she thought Kane bought it. Raven shook her head slowly, making a motion with her hands to keep talking.

“It’s for the best that Woods is coming back anyway,” Clarke began, her brain working overtime trying to sound disconnected from the situation. “It makes the mission that much easier. The sooner we bring down their operation, the sooner I can buy a pack of smokes.” Clarke saw Raven nod in approval before turning back to the large silver box.

Kane let out a short laugh. “Those things will kill you, Clarke.” He sounded satisfied and both women let out a silent breath as he continued, “Make sure you stay on track. We could only get one shot at this.”

Kane’s words were a warning more than anything else and Clarke was fully aware they were meant for her. He wouldn’t tolerate her slipping up and putting their entire team in jeopardy.

Clarke knew that she needed to keep her focus, but she couldn’t stop the happiness that crept up into her chest. She wouldn’t have to leave Lexa yet. It surprised her how much she had grown to care about the girl.

She had known Lexa was different her first day on the job. Yes, she was strong, confident, and would kill under the right circumstances. She also cared deeply for her people, the ones she let into her inner circle.

Lexa tried to hide it, but Clarke could see how big her heart could be. It had been Lexa’s father who had taught her to build walls and not let anyone in. He had taught her that she needed to be cold and ruthless if she wanted the same power and success he had. Their business had been in the family for generations. Lexa would never want to be the one who had that legacy taken away.

“We’ll be in touch soon. Get as much information from Woods as you can. We don’t know how long he’ll stay,” Kane instructed before the line went dead.

Raven reached back and yanked a cord from the back of the box. She spun around in her chair. “You are going to get us in such deep shit.” She stood up and put her hand flat on the top of her head, her dark eyes filled with stress.

“Raven, relax. We have a job to do, I get that.” Clarke walked over, put her hands on Raven’s shoulders and gave her a cheesy smile.

Raven rolled her eyes, but she smiled back at Clarke. “Yeah, yeah. Go get ready for your date.”

“It’s not a date,” Clarke took her hands off Raven’s shoulders. “Do you have any idea how much information I can get being alone with Lexa?”

Raven didn’t respond. She turned her back to Clarke and started tinkering with the box she had disconnected earlier.

“Just be careful,” Raven said quietly after a beat, not looking up from her task. “No matter how close you feel or how much you care about her, she’s dangerous.”

Clarke knew Raven was looking out for her. She smiled at the back of her partner’s head, knowing Raven did care about her no matter what she said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have you in my ear to keep me safe.”

Raven turned back to face Clarke with a satisfied grin. “Damn straight,” she responded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in the office chair. “But if it gets all romantic,” Raven shuttered over dramatically, “feel free to go radio silent.”

Clarke rolled her eyes as she rubbed her hands together, letting out a quick, nervous breath. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”

After her third outfit change and enough teasing from Raven to last a while, Clarke knew she had to head back to the casino.

When she walked out of the bathroom, Raven was hunched over her laptop typing away.

“Checking on Woods’ movements?” she asked, grabbing her key card off the side table.

“Trying to,” Raven huffed, her lips pressing together tightly and her fingers flying across the keyboard. “It looks like he chartered a private plane. That’s all I’ve got right now.”

Clarke walked toward the door, sliding the keycard into her back pocket. “Keep me updated,” she called over her shoulder as she opened the door and walked into the hall.

Her palms were clammy and her lungs felt heavy, not letting her catch her breath. Everytime she swallowed it felt like she had swallowed a sheet of sandpaper. Clarke was nervous about meeting Lexa.

She had been alone with Lexa before many times and felt fine. This was different though, maybe because she didn’t know what she was walking into. Could be for another reason she didn’t want to think about. Was Raven right? Was Clarke heading down to a date? Death or date, those were her two options for tonight and were why she needed to smoke.

Clarke pressed the shiny silver down arrow when she got to the elevator. She tried not to think about her heart pounding steadily harder with every tick of the watch on her wrist.

The ‘ding’ of the elevator brought Clarke’s gaze up. As the doors slid open, her eyes widened in shock. Lexa was standing inside the elevator with her hands clasped in front of her. She made a slight motion with her head, wordlessly asking Clarke to enter.

“What are-” Clarke started to ask, but Lexa put a finger to her lips as the doors started to close slowly. She thought about jumping off the elevator and sprinting back to her room. She thought about sending Raven some sort of distress signal so she could send a team to get her out before something happened. She thought about many different things she could do, but did none of them. Clarke stood in the elevator with Lexa waiting for her to make her move. 

The only two words running through her head were “date” or “death.” Stepping into the elevator had sealed her fate to one or the other.


	2. Chips on the Table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lexa find common ground...maybe more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Rhino and Ran for looking over this chapter for me. 
> 
> Hope you all like the newest installment of Going All In. Things will start to heat up now. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: @anonfanfic

Lexa took a step forward, still not saying a word. She pulled out the red button labeled ‘STOP’ causing the elevator to jerk to a halt. 

All of her training was screaming at her to not be in such a small, closed in space with a target. But this was Lexa and Clarke knew she could trust her. She couldn’t explain why, she just knew. 

She opened her mouth to speak again, but Lexa shook her head. Clarke quickly snapped her mouth shut and looked at Lexa in complete confusion. 

Lexa held up her long index finger to indicate that she was going to do something before they could speak. She took a step toward Clarke, which put them even closer together in the small space. She reached out her right arm to wrap around Clarke’s body. Lexa was close enough that Clarke could feel her warm breath on her face. Lexa’s hand fell on Clarke’s lower back and the blonde held her breath. 

Clarke wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t Lexa finding the small receiver tucked into the back of her jeans. Lexa’s fingers moved expertly and switched off the small box, cutting off Clarke’s communication with Raven. Clarke looked at Lexa and saw a sly grin playing on her lips. The only thing she could hope for was a quick death. 

Lexa took a step back from Clarke and crossed her arms over her chest. The smile from a few seconds before was gone. The two women studied each other carefully. 

“How long have you known?” Clarke finally spoke.

“About a month now,” Lexa replied, her expression giving nothing away. 

“What now?” Clarke couldn’t stand the tightness in her chest anymore. She needed to know what Lexa’s next move was going to be. 

“We go to dinner.” Lexa said simply, turning away from Clarke and releasing the emergency stop. The elevator started to move down and Clarke’s thoughts raced. She couldn’t help but wonder, as the doors opened slowly and Lexa lead the way out, if her luck had finally run out. 

Clarke thought about trying to flip on her reciever so she could get a message to Raven. Her hand twitched, but as she followed Lexa through the lobby and out of the door, she stopped herself. There was still that feeling inside of her that told her she could trust Lexa. 

They walked out into the bustling crowd and Lexa slowed her pace so she could walk next to Clarke. 

“I’m sorry it had to be like this,” Lexa apologized, putting her hands in her pockets and looking down at the grimy sidewalk. 

“How else was this going to happen?” Clarke asked, keeping pace with Lexa as the casino came into view.

Lexa sighed, looking like she was having some sort of internal battle. She looked back up at Clarke. “I had a whole plan. I was going to take you to dinner and talk about everything. But my time is running out.”

“Because your dad is coming back?” Clarke asked.

Lexa stopped mid-step and grabbed Clarke’s arm. She pulled her off the sidewalk and halfway down an empty alley. “I want to help you bring down his operation.” 

Clarke felt the shock of Lexa’s words hit her square in the chest. 

“I can’t keep pretending I’m okay with everything he does. You helped me see there are other ways to do business.” Lexa took Clarke’s hand as she spoke and held it tightly in her own. There was a desperation in her eyes that Clarke had never seen before. “I want to help you burn my father’s business to the ground.”

Clarke looked down at the place where their hands joined between them. Everything inside of her screamed that this was probably a trap. Lexa may be setting her up. Still, there was a small part of her that told her to trust Lexa. Clarke couldn’t explain it, not even to her logical self. It went against everything she had been taught. But as she looked into Lexa’s eyes, she made her choice. She nodded slowly. 

“Alright,” Clarke’s eyes met Lexa’s and she gave her a small smile. “Welcome to the team.” 

“What now?” Lexa asked, her expression relaxing slightly. 

Clarke smiled, “We go to dinner.” She repeated Lexa’s response from earlier. Clarke saw the corners of Lexa’s mouth move upward and knew she was holding back a smile. 

Lexa led the way out of the alley and back into the crowd. It was a few minutes before Clarke realized they were still holding hands. As much as she tried to fight it, holding Lexa’s hand felt right and safe. Lexa’s hand twitched slightly in her own and she could tell the other girl was nervous. The idea of bringing down her family business was probably sinking in more. 

“Is this alright?” Lexa gave Clarke’s hand a squeeze, briefly looking down at their hands.

“I don’t mind if you don’t.” Clarke felt her cheeks heating up at Lexa acknowledging their intertwined fingers and not pulling away. 

“Not at all,” Lexa looked forward as they got closer to the casino. “It will make it easier for us to be alone together if my team thinks we’re together.” 

Clarke wasn’t sure how to take Lexa’s words. It may be that she was the only person who felt something between them. She cleared her throat before speaking, “Yeah, perfect for the mission.” Clarke forced a smile as they walked into the lobby of the casino hand-in-hand. 

Lexa could only nod in response, Gustus was waiting for them just inside.  
“Ready for dinner?” He asked, looking only at Lexa and completely ignoring Clarke. Though she did see his dark eyes glance down at their hands locked together. 

“It’ll just be me and Clarke tonight, Gustus.” Lexa instructed the tall man. 

“Lexa, I don’t-” Gus started to object, but stopped himself. He took a sharp breath through his nose and gave a curt nod. 

Gustus looked over at Clarke as he stepped aside to let them pass. He didn’t have to say a word, Clarke got his message. If something happened to Lexa, he wouldn’t let Clarke stay alive long enough to explain. 

Clarke felt a cold weight settle in her stomach as she moved past Gustus’ large frame.

Instead of going straight through the main game room, they turned left and walked past the high roller tables. Clarke never usually made it to this side of the casino. It was typically after a long day when she didn’t want to deal with Raven right away; that’s when she’d hit up the bar just to her left against a polished redwood wall. 

Clarke saw the restaurant right ahead. The blue sign was shining like a beacon to the starving gamblers. 

‘Polis’ 

As they got closer, Clarke could see the entire place was deserted. “I think they’re closed.” Clarke was feeling the disappointment start to sink in. It wasn’t until that moment she realized how much she had been looking forward to dinner with Lexa.

“I bought it out for the night,” Lexa smiled. “I thought we’d need our privacy.”

“Good evening, Miss Woods.” The hostess walked into view and smiled brightly at Lexa. “We have your table ready, right this way.” 

They walked through the empty restaurant until they got to a small table in the very back corner. The table was obscured by thin white curtains hanging low on small trees in large ceramic planters all around. It was the perfect environment for a romantic evening. Or to discuss the demise of the family business, Clarke thought. 

The hostess, whose nametag read ‘Chrissy’ pulled out Clarke’s heavy wooden chair for her.

“Thanks.” Clarke smiled at the young girl as she sat down. 

Crissy moved to pull Lexa’s chair out too. She couldn’t help but notice the way Crissy stared at Lexa. It seemed that Lexa was oblivious; her gaze never left Clarke as she took her seat across the table.

“I’ll go get the wine you requested.” Chrissy looked slightly crestfallen as she disappeared behind the curtains. 

Clarke looked around at their surroundings. It didn’t even feel like they were in the casino anymore. There was soft music playing around them. Dim lights twinkled overhead, giving the appearance of a starlit night. In the distance, Clarke thought she heard a small waterfall trickling. It was magical and somehow more than Clarke expected. 

“You haven’t turned your pack back on, have you?” Lexa asked after Clarke was finished admiring the scenery. 

Clarke thought back to the moment she had decided not to turn it back on and shook her head. “No, I never did,” Clarke answered honestly, knowing she was going to get an earful from Raven when she got back to the room. She knew that it was not the smartest move to leave her pack off. She just couldn’t deal with Raven in her ear tonight. Clarke had been feeling something with Lexa for months now and tonight she wanted to be selfish... take a risk and see what could happen.

“Here,” Lexa put her hand on top of the table. “Take my hand.” 

Clarke tilted her head in confusion, but did as Lexa instructed. She felt the same rush she had felt when Lexa had taken her hand in the alley. 

Lexa smiled as she gently moved her thumb up and down the back of Clarke’s hand. “If my information is right about your tech partner, she’s already tapped into the security cameras in here to make sure you’re safe.” 

Clarke’s heart sank a little. That’s why Lexa wanted to hold hands, it was all for appearances. Lexa didn’t have feelings for her. This was a show so they could be alone together without drawing suspicion. If they were dating, people would shrug off the need for privacy. 

“Her name’s Raven,” Clarke kept her voice as even as she could. “You’re right. She is probably screaming at me for tuning her out.” Clarke gave a half-hearted smile.

Crissy came out of nowhere with a bottle of wine and two glasses. It was the perfect opportunity for Clarke to slip her hand away from Lexa’s as Crissy showed Lexa the bottle and set the glasses on the table. 

Lexa gave a satisfied nod and Crissy poured both girls a generous amount of the crisp white wine before placing the bottle on the table between them. “I’ll be back with your dinner.” Crissy disappeared, leaving Clarke and Lexa alone once again. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I pre-planned the menu.” Lexa picked up her glass and took a drink.

“Not at all,” Clarke followed suit, picking up her glass and taking a drink. She felt her body start to relax as she let the dry wine touch her lips again. “You’re the boss after all,” Clarke added, trying to fight back her own real feelings. She knew this was about business for Lexa and she couldn’t expect anything else from her. 

“Not for long if my father has anything to say about it.” Lexa’s expression darkened, her green eyes clouding over with emotion. Clarke couldn’t help but feel a tinge of empathy for Lexa. She had watched Lexa do everything she could to try and make her father proud. It had never been enough. Lexa was never ruthless enough to be the leader her dad expected her to be.

“I’m not going to let that happen,” Clarke tried to assure Lexa. She reached out and put her hand on top of Lexa’s. “We’re going to bring him down. No more innocent lives ruined or lost because of him.” 

Lexa nodded, but Clarke could still see the pain in her eyes. The spark of empathy she had started to feel blossomed in her chest. It was hard to imagine what Lexa was feeling. Lexa was turning her back on the only life she had ever known. She was betraying family. Clarke knew that Lexa would need support through all of this. No matter if Lexa had feelings for her or not... the girl was risking everything to do the right thing. It would be selfish to hold herself back from Lexa now. 

Clarke’s stomach let out a loud growl. She put her free hand on top of her abdomen and offered Lexa an embarrassed apology. 

“Hungry?” Lexa asked playfully. 

“I guess I forgot to eat today,” Clarke shrugged. “I was nervous.” She confessed, playing with the cloth napkin resting in her lap. 

“Nervous?” Lexa looked taken aback by Clarke’s words. “About tonight?”

Clarke nodded. “There was a small part of me that thought you may kill me.” It sounded a little silly now as they sat in a four-star restaurant about to eat amazing food. 

Lexa’s face broke into the biggest smile Clarke had ever seen. Her nose crinkled as her head rolled back in a light laugh. 

“Why would you agree if you thought I was going to kill you?” 

Clarke’s face got warm as she thought about the other reason that had brought her here tonight. 

“Had to keep my cover. If I would have said no, you would have questioned my loyalty.” Clarke swallowed and hoped Lexa hadn’t noticed the tinge of pink that snuck up her cheeks. 

Lexa had stopped laughing and was looking directly at Clarke, her eyes gazing intently at her face. 

“I don’t think I could ever think you were disloyal.” 

Clarke’s breath caught as she saw the intensity in Lexa’s eyes, not leaving her own. She didn’t know what to say. It was in moments like this with Lexa that made Clarke feel like there could be something deeper between them. 

Her heart bounced between her throat and her chest. Clarke just wanted to get up from her seat and kiss Lexa full on the lips. Finally make their connection complete. 

“I’ll try to make my father see your loyalty too. Though I don’t know what my word will mean to him now.” When her father was brought up again, Lexa’s mood changed completely. 

Clarke didn’t think, she just slid her hand back to Lexa’s on the table. “You are an amazing leader. If he doesn’t see that, it’s his fault.” 

Lexa’s smile was sad, but it was there and it gave Clarke hope that she could help Lexa to see just how great she was. 

Crissy materialized at the table again with two plates of food in either hand. Clarke started to move her hand away from Lexa’s again. This time Lexa reached forward and brought her hand back, which was a pleasant surprise. 

“Let’s put a hold on the main course.” Lexa kept her eyes on Clarke as she spoke. “I have something I want to show you.” There was a mysterious twinkle in Lexa’s eyes that caused Clarke’s stomach to fill with butterflies. Crissy looked flustered by the change. She gave a nod and walked away, still holding the two plates she had brought to the table. 

“Ready?” Lexa asked, finally removing her hand and getting up from the table.

Clarke followed Lexa out of the restaurant and onto the busy floor of the casino. She watched as some people turned to watch Lexa walk by them, aware of who she was. Lexa kept looking over her shoulder to make sure Clarke was still behind her as she walked purposefully to the back to the building. 

They walked through the gold doors where Clarke expected to find Gus glaring at her as usual, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

“I gave him the night off. He tends to hover,” Lexa answered Clarke’s unspoken question. She pulled an all-black key out of her pocket and used it to unlock her office. 

“Not to rain on your parade but I’ve been in your office before,” Clarke joked as they walked into the dark room. She was trying to ease the echo in the back of her head that told her she was being stupid.

“We just have to pick something up and we’ll go.” Lexa flicked on the desk lamp and opened the low draw on her desk. 

Clarke watched her pull out a large bottle of whiskey and put it on the table. 

“Think you can keep up?” Lexa challenged. Clarke thought she saw the ghost of a smile on her lips. 

“I’ll try and hold my own,” Clarke replied, a little taken aback by Lexa’s light mood. 

Lexa turned the light off and walked back to join Clarke in the doorway of the office. “Ready?” Lexa closed the door and didn’t wait for a response before starting down the hall at a brisk pace. 

Clarke followed behind Lexa as they weaved around the cement corridors. She realized she had never been this deep inside the casino. Clarke knew that she should be taking in her surroundings for new information, but all she could think about was where Lexa was taking her. 

By the time Clarke focused again, they were at the bottom of a slim metal stairwell. Lexa held out her arm to let Clarke go up the stairs first. “All the way up,” she instructed. 

Clarke looked up and saw there were about three flights to the top. She was still feeling uneasy that she had let her guard down so easily. With Lexa right behind her, there was only one way to go: up. 

Their footsteps echoed off the metal stairs. Could she really trust Lexa? Clarke wondered as they walked further up. 

Three flights later and Clarke was still having an internal battle. There was a large metal door in front of her. She looked back at Lexa for confirmation that she was supposed to open the door. 

Lexa nodded and Clarke turned back to push the door open. A burst of fresh air hit Clarke as the night sky came into view. Lexa had taken her to the roof of the casino. Clarke wasn’t sure if she was more amazed or nervous at the idea. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Lexa was right behind her looking over Clarke’s shoulder at the Strip lighting up the starless sky. 

“Yeah,” Clarke stared out at the flashing lights all around them. 

Lexa walked past her, bottle still in hand, to the edge of the roof and sat down. 

Clarke watched Lexa take a long swig from the bottle before she walked over to join her. She sat down next to Lexa and saw that they were blocked from a majority of the crowd below by a large sign. 

Lexa handed Clarke the bottle, letting her long legs dangle over the edge of the building. 

“My grandfather brought me here when I turned 18,” Lexa began, as Clarke took a drink and felt her throat burn. “He told me that one day I would be in charge of the family business.” Clarke handed the bottle back to Lexa. 

“He had to know if I had what it took to lead and keep the company going,” Lexa took a drink from the bottle. Her face started to fill with grief at the memory. “He had a man brought up to the roof who owed the family a lot of money. He had already been beaten pretty badly.” Lexa took a long gulp of the alcohol before continuing. 

“He was being held up by two men. The look on his face when he saw my grandfather,” Lexa’s eye squeezed shut as the memory came back to her. “I’ll never forget that look of absolute fear.”

Lexa opened her eyes and looked at Clarke, her green eyes filled with sadness. “They shoved him to his knees and my grandfather walked over to him. He explained that he had been given more than enough time to pay back his debt.” Lexa passed the bottle to Clarke. “Time was up.” 

“One of the men handed my grandfather a large, metal pot. The other gave him a burlap sack. I just stood there. I had no idea what to expect. My grandfather nodded and that’s when the man started to plead and cry.” Lexa reached out and took the bottle back from Clarke and took two sips. She used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth before giving the bottle back. 

“He was too injured to fight and they had him on his back in seconds. My grandfather reached into the sack and pulled out a huge rat.” Lexa dropped her head. The memories becoming too much for her. Clarke wanted to tell her it was okay. She didn’t, she knew Lexa needed to tell the story. “One of the guards lifted the beaten man’s shirt as my grandfather lowered the rat onto his bare stomach. He put the lid over the rat and looked down at the man. He said, ‘You and the rat have something in common. You will both use any means to try and stay out of the heat.’ He reached into the bag again and pulled out a handheld blowtorch. He pulled the trigger and a blue flame erupted from the end. He put the flame on the metal of the pot and let it heat up.” Clarke’s stomach turned as she visualized what Lexa was describing. 

“The metal heated up quick and that’s when the screams started. The rat wanted to escape and the only way it could was down.” 

Clarke’s throat tightened. “Shit,” She whispered, unable to comprehend what it would feel like to have a rodent clawing and biting frantically at your skin. 

“That was my chance to get out. I could have walked away from everything. But I was scared. If I left I would have nothing and no one, they made sure of that.” Lexa confessed. “I told myself I’d change things once I got the chance. I could never do what I saw on the roof that day.” Lexa took the bottle and put it to her lips before tipping her head back. If she kept drinking like this Clarke would have to move them away from the ledge. 

“Hey,” Clarke put her hand on Lexa’s thigh, a brave move even when buzzed. Lexa put the bottle down and looked over at Clarke with watery eyes. “You have changed things,” Clarke assured her. “I’ve seen it.”

“While disappointing my father in the process,” Lexa laughed humorlessly. “I never wanted to let him down. He’s given me so much. I owe the family.” Clarke knew that this was what Lexa had been taught from birth. The family was always the priority and so was being loyal to the family. 

“Lexa,” Clarke carefully moved closer to Lexa on the ledge while keeping her hand on her thigh. “If your dad can’t see what an amazing and caring daughter he has that’s his fault.” 

Lexa gave her a sad smile, “I think it’s the caring part he doesn’t like.” Lexa’s eyes were filled with emotion as she spoke. “You can’t care and lead, emotions cloud your mind and impact your decisions.” Lexa sounded like she was reciting her response from a textbook. How many times had her father told her the exact same thing growing up? 

“I have to find another way out,” Lexa’s voice had a tinge of panic. 

Clarke didn’t think, she just wrapped her arms around Lexa and felt a silent sob shake her body. Even those who have the strongest hearts had a breaking point Clarke thought, rubbing Lexa’s back soothingly. It was only a single sob that Clarke felt before Lexa slowly pulled away. Their faces were only inches away. Clarke could smell the whiskey on her breath. She reached up and wiped away the tear that was sliding down Lexa’s cheek. Clarke’s brain had shut off, it was her heart that was leading her actions now. 

“You aren’t alone in this anymore. You never will be again,” Clarke assured her, letting the palm of her hand cradle Lexa’s face. 

“I know,” Lexa whispered, leaning closer to Clarke. “I know.” She repeated, now only a breath away from Clarke’s mouth. 

Clarke didn’t move, she barely breathed, all she wanted was to feel Lexa’s lips. She wanted to offer Lexa even the smallest amount of comfort in this moment. 

When their lips met Clarke felt her entire body fill with electricity. It started in her chest and spiked outward in powerful jolts. Lexa tasted like booze with a hint of peppermint. Their mouths moved together as if they had found the missing piece of the puzzle neither had noticed they needed to find. 

Clarke leaned forward, needing more, craving everything Lexa could give her. She felt the bottle move next to her and before she could reach out it fell from the ledge. They both pulled away as the bottle smashes onto the street below. Lexa craned her neck and saw that it had broken into hundreds of pieces onto the cement. It had caused a few people to stop and look around for the source. 

“We should go,” Lexa whispered, getting up from the ledge and holding out her hands for Clarke. “Will you come back to the office with me?” Lexa asked, as she helped Clarke up. 

Looking at Lexa as she stood up Clarke could see the uncertainty there. They both knew at this point they could walk away and chalk up their kiss to a drunken moment. It would be brushed under the rug and not talked about again. If Clarke made the choice to go with Lexa it would change everything forever. Clarke knew she would be crossing a line and she wouldn't be able to come back. She knew the risks. 

“Let’s go,” Clarke smiled at Lexa.


	3. Calling the Bluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a shorter chapter, sorry in advance. I hope you still enjoy. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: @anonfanfic
> 
> Thank you Randa for being the most amazing beta and human.

They rushed down the stairs and through the empty halls, stopping a few times along the way to fall into deep, messy kisses. Clarke could feel Lexa’s warm hands against her stomach as her shirt lifted slightly. She breathed in the intoxicating scent of whiskey and peppermint as Lexa’s lips moved over her lips, cheek, and jaw. 

Lexa fumbled in her pocket for her key and finally got the black door open. Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist as they stumbled into the room. Now that the line had been crossed Clarke, couldn’t fight her desire to have Lexa in her arms. 

They tangled together as the door closed behind them, their lips moving nearly as quickly as their hands. Neither of them noticed they weren’t alone until Mr. Woods stood up behind the desk and cleared his throat. 

The girls jumped apart, straightening their disheveled clothing and hair. Clarke nearly tripped over the same chair from earlier that day. 

“It appears I’ve arrived just in time.” Mr. Woods was a tall man with short salt and pepper hair. It was perfectly styled and went well with his expensive dark suit. He did not look happy about catching his daughter in his office with someone. 

“Dad! I - I thought you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.” Lexa looked like she had shrunk two feet in the presence of her father. 

“Clearly,” Mr. Woods buttoned his suit jacket and walked around the desk slowly. “Is this how you think my business should be run?” He asked, moving to stand directly in front of Lexa. “Is this why we’ve fallen behind on collections?” Mr. Woods looked over at Clarke and put a smile on his face. 

“You must be the new contact.” His grey eyes were sharp and filled with judgement. The smile on his lips didn’t quite reach them. “Lexa speaks highly of you.” He held out his hand for Clarke to shake. Clarke grasped his hand and found, that just like his smile, it was ice cold. 

“If you’ll excuse us Clarke,” Woods released Clarke’s hand. “My daughter and I have business to discuss.” 

“Dad, Clarke has been helping me run things while you’ve been gone. Anything you have to say about business you can say in front of her.” Clarke could hear the slight waver in Lexa’s voice as she stood up to her father’s orders. 

Mr. Woods jaw tensed and he looked at his daughter for a long moment. “Very well,” he said curtly, putting his arms across his chest. “I’m assuming you’ve heard about Nia’s shipment.” 

Lexa nodded and looked over at Clarke proudly. “Clarke was the one who got the information about the shipment.”

Mr. Woods looked over at Clarke again and gave her another icy smile. “Very good, very good.” The tone of his voice didn’t match his expression. He turned back to Lexa and clasped his hands together. “Do we have an intercept plan?” he asked. 

“We’re sending in Anya’s team,” Lexa responded. Before she could get all of the words out, Woods was shaking his head.

“You need more power than that. What if something goes wrong?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips. Clarke saw the glint of what she assumed was a very expensive watch on his wrist. 

“They’ll be in and out with no problem,” Lexa assured her father. “We don’t want to complicate things.” 

“You know what complicates things? Dead bodies.” Woods had an edge to his voice that Clarke took as a warning. 

“I trust Anya and her team. If we keep the party small, there will be less of a chance of casualties,” Lexa countered.

“Fine. Send Anya’s team.” His jaw was tight and he looked like he had much more to say. “We’ll see how it works out.” He walked back behind the desk and sat down. “I have work to catch up on.” He dismissed both girls with a wave of his hand. 

Lexa opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped herself. She looked at Clarke and nodded toward the door. Clarke took one last look at the man behind the desk before following Lexa out of the office. 

They walked out into the hall and let the door shut behind them before they stopped. Their time on the roof felt like a lifetime ago, maybe even a dream. Everything felt different now that Lexa’s father was back. 

“Are you okay?” Clarke asked. Lexa looked like she was miles away. As much as Clarke’s mind was reeling, Lexa must have been feeling like she had been hit by a truck. 

“Yeah,” Lexa replied, her eyes unfocused. “I should get back to my place.” 

Clarke’s heart sank. The moment had passed, been fractured when Mr. Woods cleared his throat and tore them away from each other. Who knew if they would ever get another one?

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Lexa’s voice was hollow; her mind was still with her father. She started to walk away before she turned back to Clarke, looking concerned. “Do you think we should send back up with Anya’s team?” 

Clarke could see how unsure Lexa was now. Her father being back had shaken her. It had shaken her faith in Clarke. 

“We don’t want lives lost on either side, do we? Not if we can help it?” Clarke asked. She didn’t want to tell Lexa what to do. She just knew how Lexa really felt about how her family ran the business. She just needed to be reminded of that. 

Lexa shook her head, though she still seemed unsure. Clarke knew she wasn’t ready to make any decisions tonight. 

“Listen,” Clarke softened her tone to try and give Lexa some sense of comfort. “We can talk about this tomorrow.” 

Lexa took a deep breath before nodding again. Her green eyes showing emotion that Clarke had rarely seen. “Thank you.” 

“Send me a message if you need anything.” Clarke added, hoping her tone let Lexa know her offer went beyond business. Her lips still had a hum from the roof. She could still feel Lexa’s touch under her clothing. It was becoming harder to push down her feelings for Lexa. 

“I will,” Lexa nodded. Clarke could see her walls were already back up and it was like their time in the sky had never happened. 

Lexa had been taught not to trust anyone outside of her family. More importantly, Lexa had been taught not to care for anyone outside of her family. Lexa probably thought what happened between them was a mistake or a moment of weakness. Clarke made up her mind that she wouldn’t bring up what happened. It would just be a memory. 

Lexa turned back around and walked through the doors and out of sight. Clarke stared for a long moment at the spot where Lexa stood before reaching down and turning on her reciever for the first time all night. 

“Raven, I’m on my way back.” Clarke walked out onto the casino floor and let the noise and excitement wash over her. 

“That’s all you’ve got to say to me?” Raven asked.

“We’ll talk when I get back.” Clarke didn’t feel like explaining everything over the comm and she never knew who could be listening. 

She knew Raven wouldn’t take the news well and as she walked into the hotel room she prepared herself for the outrage. 

“What the hell!” Raven exclaimed, pacing the room after Clarke had explained the events of the night. She had carefully left out what happened between her and Lexa on the rooftop. “We’re letting targets on the team now? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of our job?” 

“You don’t understand. This is different-” Clarke tried to interject. 

“No,” Raven stopped pacing and looked at Clarke. “You don’t understand. If you blow this mission, it’s not just your ass. My job is on the line too.” Raven’s hands were balled into fists as she tried to control her anger. “Are you willing to risk everything for someone who could kill you in a single breath?” 

Clarke looked at Raven and saw uncertainty. She and Raven had been through so much together. Clarke knew that she was risking everything trusting Lexa. She knew Raven would be too. But she also knew her partner would do it if she told her it would work out. 

“Yes, I am.” Clarke nodded firmly. 

Raven’s cheeks puffed out as she let out a long, deep breath and put her hands on her hips, staring up at the ceiling before looking back at Clarke. “I want you to know that if this goes south, I have no problem at all throwing you under the bus.” 

“I’d expect nothing less,” Clarke replied with a smile. 

Raven walked over and took a seat in front of the desk with her laptop sitting open on it. “Now, since you left me on my own all night, and I got bored watching your dinner date, I got some research done.” She explained, typing away on her keyboard. Clarke walked over and watched the screen. 

“It looks like Nia’s shipment is coming earlier tomorrow than we thought. It should be a small team picking it up.” 

Clarke nodded. “Just like we thought. Anya’s team can handle that with no problem.” Clarke grabbed the phone Lexa had given her and relayed the information.

Raven spun around in her chair and gave Clarke a sly smile. “So, how was your date?” 

Clarke rolled her eyes and threw her phone on the bed before heading to the bathroom. “I’m getting ready for bed. I’m meeting Lexa and the others in the morning.” 

 

“Griffin doesn’t kiss and tell?” Raven teased and Clarke stopped in her tracks on her way to the bathroom. She couldn’t tell if Raven knew or if she was just joking. She decided it was the latter and took a breath before walking into the bathroom and splashing her face with cool water. 

She took a shower and slowly got dressed for bed. When she walked out of the bathroom, she saw that Raven had already gotten into bed. Clarke was relieved; she didn’t think she could handle any more questions about Lexa or their adventure tonight. 

Clarke got into bed and tried to get her mind to settle down, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t shake her lingering thoughts of Lexa. After what felt like hours, she finally felt herself drifting off and gladly let sleep take her. 

 

Clarke’s eyes flashed open quickly as they tried to focus on the figure standing above her. 

Lexa’s green eyes were hungry as they gazed down at her. She brought her index finger up to her lips, telling Clarke to stay quiet. She moved her hand down to Clarke’s face and cupped her cheek in her palm. Clarke felt a stirring of desire in the pit of her stomach as Lexa’s face moved closer. 

Clarke’s breathing hitched as their lips met and she felt the same jolts that had shot through her body on the roof. Clarke brought her hand up and placed it on the back of Lexa’s head, pulling her down more. She felt Lexa move to straddle her on the bed.

The quiet room was filled with heavy breathing and muffled moans as their lips met over and over again in lust-filled kisses. Clarke’s hips pushed up into Lexa, her body responding to her desire before her mind could catch up. 

Clarke felt Lexa’s hands push down the blankets covering her so she could pull up her shirt. Lexa slipped down Clarke’s body and started placing light kisses on her stomach. Clarke’s eyes rolled back as Lexa’s right hand moved further down her body under the blankets. She adjusted her body to lay next to Clarke as her fingers teased the hem of her sweatpants. 

“More,” Clarke whispered into Lexa’s ear as she kissed Clarke’s neck. “Please.” 

Lexa nipped at Clarke’s neck in response as her fingers dipped under the fabric of her underwear. Clarke’s breathing caught in her throat. She felt Lexa moving closer to where she ached for her. 

Lexa slowly slipped a finger inside Clarke and her entire body tensed. She hadn’t realized just how badly she had craved Lexa’s touch. 

“Lexa.” Clarke’s breathed the name like it was a drug she needed to live. Another finger and Clarke’s hips were off the bed. “Lexa.” She whispered a little louder. Lexa’s mouth was on her’s now to try and silence her. 

Clarke felt Lexa’s fingers start to move in short, powerful thrusts. Clarke moaned into Lexa’s mouth. She felt her body start to crest over the wave she was riding. 

“Lexa!” Clarke shot up in bed, her thin shirt clinging to her body from sweat. She looked around the room and saw the first signs of morning shining through the gaps of the blinds. Lexa was nowhere to be found in the room. Raven was sleeping soundly next to her and Clarke’s own hand was down the front of her sweats. 

She fell back down onto her pillows and filled her lungs with air as she tried to calm her body down. The dream had felt so real she thought she could still smell Lexa. But it was only a dream, a dream she had to try to forget before she saw Lexa in a few hours.


	4. Skin in the Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the newest chapter. I hope you have enjoyed the journey so far. I really do love this AU and I hope you are all loving it too. More to come. Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Thank you to my Panda Randa for being the best beta I could ever ask for. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: @anonfanfic

Clarke laid in bed a while longer as light started to fill the room, marking the time that was slipping away. She had to go meet with Lexa and the others about the shipment, but all she could think about was Lexa’s touch. 

Raven groaned next to her and rolled out of bed. She stumbled right to the coffee maker and started it while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

“Morning.” Clarke finally sat up in her bed, ready as she was ever going to be to face the day. 

“Morning,” Raven yawned, pulling her cup away from the machine before it was completely filled. “Aren’t you supposed to be meeting with Lexa’s team?” she asked, taking a careful sip of her coffee. 

“Yeah,” Clarke got up from her bed and grabbed her jeans. “I should go.” 

Raven walked over to her spot in front of the desk and her laptop. She didn’t seem to notice how flustered Clarke appeared this morning. 

Clarke quickly got dressed and grabbed her phone from the side table. 

“Let me know if anything changes.” Clarke went to open the door. 

“Griffin,” Raven called, her voice suddenly clear and awake. “Stay sharp. Anything can happen. Remember the mission.” 

Clarke nodded as she walked out of the room. She knew Raven was looking out for her and felt a pang of guilt in her chest for not telling her everything that happened the night before. 

Clarke walked the entire path to the casino, consumed with thoughts of her dream and guilt over not being completely honest with her partner. None of it made sense, emotions rarely did. Clarke had learned a long time ago that trying to figure out feelings could be dangerous. Trying to figure out her feelings for Lexa could prove fatal. She’d be risking everything. 

She walked through the casino and into the back where Gus was once again waiting by the office door. 

“Don’t look so happy, Gus,” Clarke joked with the man, his stony expression remaining the same. 

“She expecting you.” The same old line from Gus as he opened the office door for her. 

“Always the life of the party.” Clarke rolled her eyes, feeling somewhat better after teasing the man. She walked past him and into the already crowded office. 

Mr. Woods was sitting behind the desk where Lexa normally sat. Lexa was in the corner with an older woman standing next to her. The woman looked impatiently around the room. 

This was Anya, one of the best players Woods’ company had. She fiddled with hilts of knives at her sides, her sharp eyes locking on Clarke as she walked into the room. Next to her were three other people and they looked just as impatient as their leader. 

“Great, she’s here.” Anya stepped into the middle of the room. “Let’s get going.” 

“Hang on there, killer.” Clarke tried to make eye contact with Lexa, but she wouldn’t look up from her phone. “I have word from my source we still have a few hours before the drop.” 

Mr. Woods looked up at Clarke and smiled like he had just noticed her. “Hello Clarke.” There was a glint in his eye that sent a chill up her spine. “We’re sending out Anya’s team early for recon. If my daughter is following your plan, I want to know everything we can about the location and what Nia is up to before it happens.”

Clarke crossed her arms and looked at the older man. “Lexa and I agreed this was the best way to keep everyone alive.” 

Mr. Woods’ smile seemed to get more sinister as he glared at Clarke. “Lexa seems to have forgotten her place. Now that I’m back, she will begin to see things the right way.” 

Clarke took the chance to try and catch Lexa’s eye again, but she still wouldn’t look up. 

“Now,” Mr. Woods’ voice sounded more powerful as it resounded through the small room. “If you will take a seat I can continue to run my business.” 

Clarke could feel the anger building up inside of her as she walked over and sat in the only free chair in the office. She kept trying to look over at Lexa as Woods explained what would happen next. 

He had tried to convince Anya and her team to call in backup, but they were too loyal to his daughter and wanted to stay with the plan she had given them. Clarke could sense Woods’ annoyance, but he grudgingly agreed and the meeting wrapped up. 

Mr. Woods stood up and straightened his jacket. “We have our plan and now I need to catch my flight to New York.” 

Clarke and Lexa both stood up as Anya gathered her team outside of the office. 

“You’re leaving?” Lexa seemed shocked, walking over to her father. 

“Only for two days,” Woods gathered his laptop and put it in the large briefcase next to him. “This mission is your plan and you will see it through.” 

Clarke translated his words as he wasn’t going to stay in the city and watch the plan fail. Judging from the look on Lexa’s face, she knew it too. 

“When I get back, we’ll talk about your role with the company.” He picked up his briefcase and walked toward the open door. “Both of your roles.” He looked at Clarke before closing the door and leaving Clarke and Lexa alone in the office. 

“I should go,” Lexa cleared her throat and turned toward the door. “Anya’s team will call when it’s done.” 

“Lexa, wait.” Clarke reached out and took Lexa’s arm. “I’ll stay with you,” she offered, quickly removing her hand and looking hopefully at Lexa. 

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.” Once again Lexa looked away as she spoke, not making eye contact with Clarke. “I’ll send you a message when I know more.”   
Lexa took two long strides to get to the door and walked out without another word. This was the influence of her father. There was no doubt that was why Lexa was acting so cold to her. This wasn’t the Lexa she knew. This wasn’t her Lexa. 

‘Her Lexa.’ The words echoed around her head as she stood in the empty room. There was no denying her feelings now. She felt something powerful for Lexa and she wouldn’t let her father ruin it for either of them. Clarke made up her mind in that moment; she wasn’t going to let fear dictate her actions anymore. 

“She’s in the suite on the 12th floor.” Raven’s voice crackled to life in her ear. Though she tried to sound annoyed Clarke could sense the softness in her partner's voice. “You have three hours.”

“Thanks Raven.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Raven sounded exasperated. “Just do me a favor and go on radio silence.”

Clarke reached around and turned off her reciever. She knew Raven was risking everything letting her pursue Lexa. She owed her big time. She walked to the banks of elevators on the main floor. In the distance she could see the restaurant she and Lexa had gone to not long ago. It brought back memories of last night and the roof. 

The elevator doors opened and Clarke got on, followed by a young guy in a green vest. He smiled brightly at Clarke like he recognized her. He pressed the ‘7’ button and turned to look at Clarke. “Do you remember me?” he asked as the doors shut and Clarke tried to press the ‘12’ button, but it didn’t light up. 

Clarke stared at the young man for a long moment before smiling. “Oh yeah,” she wagged her finger playfully at him. “You were the dealer that night at blackjack.” The boy nodded and turned back to face the doors as the elevator continued skyward. Clarke once again tried to hit the ‘12’ button and again nothing happened. 

“Do you know how I can get to the 12th floor from here?” she asked as the elevator ‘dinged’ on the 7th floor. 

The boy gave her a curious look as he started to walk out of the elevator. “It’s special access only.” 

Clarke swore under her breath. Her last resort would be to call Lexa and pray she would answer. 

The dealer reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a plastic card. As he walked onto his floor, he waved it in front of the panel and hit the ‘12’ button, which lit up.

“Have a good night.” He smiled as the doors slid shut slowly. 

Clarke’s heart skipped a beat and she silently thanked her past self for leaving that money for the kid. 

Now it was time for Clarke to be nervous. She watched the floors pass and felt her breathing speed up. What was she even going to say? Lexa could just turn her away. 

The elevator stopped on the 12th floor and as soon as the doors opened, Clarke was greeted by a familiar face. 

“How did you get up here?” Gus looked even more intimidating as he stood in front of the elevator. The doors had opened directly into the large suite. The room didn’t look like a normal hotel suite. It looked comfortable and lived in. Gus impatiently crossed his tree trunk sized arms in front of his massive chest. 

Clarke didn’t want to get her new friend in trouble so she thought it may be best to be vague and hope he didn’t press her for answers. “I have my ways. Is she here?” Clarke asked, taking a small step out of the elevator. 

“She doesn’t want to see anyone right now.” Gus squared his stance just in case Clarke tried to move past him. 

“Let her in,” Lexa appeared around the corner with a drink in her hand. She walked into the sitting room just beyond the foyer. 

Gus looked over his shoulder at his boss and sighed deeply as if he knew she was going to appear and make him move. He moved aside just enough for Clarke to slip by him and into the main room. 

“Go for a walk Gus,” Lexa instructed, walking over to the drink cart next to the large fireplace. “I’ll call you back when I need you.” She poured a generous amount of dark alcohol into an empty glass and refreshed her own drink for good measure. 

“Lexa, please think about this. If your father finds out...” Gus stopped mid-sentence when he saw Lexa’s eyes flash up angrily at him. Clarke nearly took a step back herself when she saw the look on her face. 

“How would he find out?” Lexa’s voice had a dangerous tone as she stared right at Gus. “Are you going to tell him?” 

“Of course not,” Gus swallowed. Clarke thought he looked small under Lexa’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.” He walked over to the elevator and pressed the button to call the car. “Call if you need me. I’ll be right downstairs.” He turned and glared at Clarke as the doors shut. 

“He worries,” Lexa explained as she grabbed both glasses and walked over to Clarke. “He’s been looking out for me for as long as I can remember.” Lexa handed Clarke the glass she had filled moments before. 

“He is quite protective.” Clarke gave a small smile and sipped the drink. Her heart skipped when it touched her lips… whiskey, the same one they had shared on the roof. 

Lexa nodded, her own smile playing on her lips. “What brings you up here?” 

“I wanted to make sure you were alright,” Clarke spoke plainly. She had decided before she came up here that she wasn’t going to play it safe anymore. She was going all in with Lexa. 

Lexa blinked a few times before turning back toward the sitting room and walking to a chair. “Why wouldn’t I be alright?” Lexa avoided the question, sounding slightly defensive as she took a seat.   
Clarke refused to back down. If things weren’t going to move forward with Lexa, she would find out today. 

“Your dad coming back to town and questioning your every move. Doesn’t that bother you?” Clarke persisted as she walked over to sit across from Lexa on a soft-looking couch. 

“My father being back has helped me focus. It’s reminded me who I can trust.” Lexa had fallen back into her old ways. She was reciting her dad’s teachings like the well-trained soldier she had become. 

“You can trust me. You know you can trust me. That’s why you didn’t kill me when you found out who I was. That’s why I’m still here now.” Clarke leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees. She felt like her heart was pounding in her throat as she spoke. She was out on the ledge now waiting to see if Lexa joined her or pushed her off. 

Lexa looked at Clarke and it was like she could see her trying to override her mental programming. She put her glass down on the coffee table in front of her and stood up.

“Do you trust me?” Lexa asked, putting her hands behind her back and pressing her lips together anxiously. 

Clarke could see that Lexa was looking for a lifeline. She needed to know where Clarke stood before she could allow herself to give into any feelings she may have.

Clarke put her own drink down on the same table and stood up, but she didn’t move closer to Lexa. 

“I think you already know the answer.” Clarke didn’t break her gaze as she spoke. She wanted Lexa to know it was all or nothing now. 

Lexa nodded and moved closer to Clarke. She brought her hand up tentatively, almost like Clarke could disappear if she touched her, to brush Clarke’s blonde hair behind her ear. “I think I do,” Lexa whispered.

Clarke smiled, finally seeing real emotion flood over Lexa’s face. She reached up and put her hand over Lexa’s to keep it on her cheek. 

“What now?” Lexa’s voice came out as a raspy whisper. Clarke shut her eyes for just a second to remember the feeling of Lexa’s warm skin on her own. 

Clarke leaned forward, almost painfully slow, and let her lips ghost over Lexa’s before speaking. “We pray Gus doesn’t come back up.” She smirked against Lexa’s mouth before pulling her in for a deeper kiss. 

Lexa responded in earnest. Her lips moved against Clarke’s frantically, finally able to express what she had been feeling for a while now. 

Clarke’s hands moved to take off Lexa’s shirt. Lexa grabbed her wrists gently and pulled away just enough to whisper, “Not here.” Her eyes looking back at the elevator. “Come with me.” Lexa took Clarke’s hand and let their fingers lace together as they walked around the corner and down the hall to an open bedroom. The bed was bigger than any bed Clarke had ever seen before. The comforter looked like a cloud that they could just sink into and be lost for days. 

Once they were in the bedroom, Lexa turned back to look at Clarke, any certainty that had been on her face moments before was gone. She looked down at the carpet and fiddled with her fingers before looking back at Clarke. 

Clarke took the first step and closed the space between them. She brought her hands up and brushed Lexa’s hair behind her ears and pressed her forehead to Lexa’s. 

“Do you want to do this?” Clarke wanted to make sure Lexa wanted this as much as she did. Lexa’s eyes were closed, her own hands moving up to touch Clarke’s wrists as she nodded and bit her lower lip. 

“I want you,” Lexa whispered, opening her eyes and looking at Clarke. 

Lexa’s words made Clarke take a sharp breath, her entire body coming alive. It was like Lexa had awoken something in Clarke and all she needed was more. 

Clarke lifted Lexa up and twisted their bodies so her back slammed against the white wall of the bedroom. Clarke pinned her to the wall and maneuvered her thigh between Lexa’s legs. It was clear just how much Lexa wanted this. Her body reacted to the friction, grinding hard against Clarke’s leg. 

Lexa attacked Clarke’s neck with her mouth, kissing, sucking, and nipping at her skin. Whatever was happening between them was primal and almost animalistic, having built up for far too long. 

Clarke growled as she felt Lexa’s teeth scrape against her skin. She lowered Lexa to the ground, much to Lexa’s disappointment. But before she could open her mouth to protest, Clarke reached up and ripped open Lexa’s black button up shirt. The sound of the buttons hitting random objects around the room was lost as the two once again converged on each other, their lips crushing together and Clarke’s hands cupping Lexa’s bra-covered breasts. 

Lexa took the opportunity to push Clarke back until the back of her legs hit the large bed. Her hands reached down and skillfully undid Clarke’s belt and jeans. Clarke sat on the bed and let Lexa slowly remove her pants. Once her jeans and panties were pooled at Clarke’s feet, Lexa made her way back up her legs with soft kisses. 

The teasing was driving Clarke crazy and Lexa had far too many articles of clothing still on. Clarke gently pulled Lexa up so she could take off her shirt and bra as she let her tongue slide between Lexa’s lips. The mix of whiskey and peppermint that was just purely Lexa was Clarke’s new drug. 

Clarke moved her hands to Lexa’s jeans, undoing them without breaking their deep kiss. Clarke’s shirt soon followed, joining the clothing that lay scattered at the foot of the bed. 

Lexa pushed Clarke down once again on the bed; this time Clarke fell onto her back with a light laugh. Lexa took a step toward her and Clarke heard a dull crack.

“Shit.” Clarke knew exactly what Lexa had stepped on. She had left her receiver attached to her jeans. 

“I’m sorry-” Lexa started to apologize and reach down to grab the small box. Clarke stopped her with a wave of her hand, not wanting to ruin this moment. She would deal with Raven’s anger over the broken tech later. 

“Just get over here.” Clarke curled her index finger in what she hoped was a playfully sexy movement. 

A smile returned to Lexa’s face as she crawled onto the bed over Clarke’s body. 

Clarke flipped them once Lexa was completely on the bed so she was straddling the brunette’s hips. She removed her last item of clothing, her lacy black bra, and let it fall off the bed. 

“I want you to feel good,” Clarke cooed, bending down to leave a lingering kiss on Lexa’s lips. Her hand moved to cup her left breast, moving her thumb to rub slow circles around her nipple. Lexa made a soft noise in the back of her throat as Clarke took her thumb and index finger and pinched the hardened nub. 

Clarke moved her hand to Lexa’s other breast and her lips moved to her sharp jawline before finding their way to her neck. Though they did not stay there long, only long enough to leave a fresh red mark on the tender skin. 

Soon her mouth joined her hands at Lexa’s chest, one hand kneading while her mouth latched onto her left nipple. Lexa responded with a low groan. Clarke looked up through her lashes and saw her eyes rolling back in pleasure. 

Clarke’s mouth moved to give the other nipple the same attention. Lexa’s leg lifted and moved to press against Clarke’s center. Now it was Clarke’s eyes that rolled back at the amazing sensation. Clarke rolled her hips into Lexa’s thigh to get as much friction as she could. 

“Yes,” Lexa hissed, feeling Clarke’s wetness on her skin. 

Clarke moved down slowly, kissing every spot of bare skin her lips could reach. Lexa’s leg straightened as Clarke finally made it between her legs. She took a tentative slow swipe with her tongue and was rewarded with a loud whine from the girl beneath her.   
“More,” Lexa pleaded, her hips rising and falling a few times to simulate the thrusting she desired. 

Clarke gave a few more slow licks, savoring every second of her time with Lexa. Clarke’s right hand moved up to tweak Lexa’s hard nipples while her left hand moved to her inner thigh. Her fingers traced Lexa’s skin and she felt her jump away a little at her touch. Clarke stopped and looked up at Lexa, scared she had done something wrong.

“I’m ticklish,” Lexa admitted sheepishly, her cheeks flushed with color. 

Clarke chuckled and went back to work, inserting a finger inside Lexa as her tongue continued to move skillfully. 

“Clarke, Clarke!” Lexa moaned her name, encouraging the blonde as she thrust in two more fingers. Lexa screamed so loudly Clarke thought the people down in the casino may have been able to hear her. 

Her fingers moved rapidly, her pace increasing with every sound coming from Lexa. She felt Lexa’s body start to squirm and shake, every muscle in her body tensing and relaxing with Clarke’s movements. It was intoxicating to have so much power over someone. 

Lexa’s hands were gripping the blanket beneath her so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. 

“I’m close!” Lexa exclaimed, lifting her hips off the bed to meet Clarke’s thrusts. “Clarke, please I’m so close.” 

Clarke rolled Lexa’s nipple with her thumb, working her sensitive clit with the lightest touch of her tongue. Her three fingers curling up as she felt Lexa release. 

“Yes!” Lexa called, the orgasm seemingly ripping through her entire body. 

Clarke continued her movements inside Lexa, slowing them as Lexa came back down. 

Lexa made small, satisfied noises as Clarke kissed her stomach and the space in between her breasts. Clarke moved up to lay beside Lexa and pull the soft blanket over them. 

“Your turn.” Lexa smiled sleepily, attempting to move her shaky arm over to Clarke. 

“Rest for now. I’m happy to just lay with you.” Clarke kissed Lexa’s temple. 

Lexa turned to her side and took Clarke’s arm to rest on her hip. Clarke smiled and placed another kiss onto Lexa’s shoulder blade, pulling her closer. 

 

When Clarke opened her eyes again, she knew they had overslept. Lexa was still resting peacefully next to her and even though she knew she should wake her, she wanted to give her just a few more minutes of peace before she woke her up to check on the mission. 

She slowly got up from the bed, careful not to wake Lexa, and started to collect her clothing. She put on her bra and shirt before she saw the pieces of what had once been her reciever. 

“Raven is going to kill me,” Clarke sighed as she grabbed it and her pants. She shoved the pieces in her pocket and looked over at the bed. Lexa had her eyes open and was looking at her with a sweet smile. 

“Were you planning on saying goodbye?” she asked, sitting up in bed. 

“I was trying to let you sleep a little longer.” Clarke walked over and leaned down to give Lexa a soft kiss. 

“I’m just going to check in with Raven and I will come right back.” Clarke assured her as Lexa tried to pull her back into bed. “You should check to see how Anya’s team is doing.” 

Lexa sighed and let Clarke go. “So responsible.” She flopped back into bed dramatically. “Can’t we just stay in this bed forever? Forget anything outside of this room exists?” Lexa stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. 

Clarke gave Lexa one last kiss on the lips before pulling away with a sad smile on her face. “Maybe someday.” She kissed Lexa’s forehead before turning and walking out of the bedroom. She didn’t look back as she turned the corner and walked straight to the elevator. If she looked back and saw Lexa laying in that bed completely naked, chances were high she would end up staying. 

Clarke pushed the button to call for the elevator, her mind going back to her time with Lexa. She smiled as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. 

She walked back to the hotel in a happy haze. When she walked into the lobby, she reached for her back pocket where she always had the phone Lexa had given her but there was nothing there. She must have left it in the suite. Clarke shrugged; she would just get it when she went back to have more alone time with Lexa. 

Clarke found herself humming a tuneless song as she went up the elevator to the hotel room, where Raven was probably waiting to decapitate her for not checking in sooner. 

Clarke pulled out her room key, which thankfully she didn’t forget, and opened the door. She expected yelling, a string of curse words that would make a sailor blush, maybe even objects flying at her head. What she didn’t expect was a frantic Raven running around the room and throwing things in bags. 

“Raven…” Clarke froze, completely confused by the situation she had just walked into. 

“Griffin, at least you’re alive.” Raven barely looked up. “Help me pack up.” 

“Pack up? Why?” Clarke was getting nervous now. Raven had a look on her face that Clarke had never seen before: fear. 

“I thought you and Lexa were keeping tabs on the mission.” Raven stopped halfway through shoving clothing into a duffle. “The drop was a set-up. The team was ambushed and killed. We’ve been pulled.”


	5. The Underlay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying the fic so far. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: @anonfanfic

Raven continued throwing electronics and clothing in different bags. “Clarke,” Raven tossed a small duffle to Clarke. “Did you hear me?” 

Clarke caught the bag, but still couldn’t move. “What happened? What did they say?” It was the only thing Clarke could think to ask. 

“Not much.” Raven answered, not hiding the irritation in her voice. “They basically said we’ve been compromised and it’s time to get out.” 

Clarke threw the bag on the bed and started to pace the room. She tried to wipe her clammy hands on her jeans as she walked. Raven was still scrambling around the room trying to unplug all of her different electronics. 

“If they are pulling us it means Lexa could be in danger too.” 

Now it was Raven who threw her bag. It landed with a loud thud on the floor as she turned to Clarke with a look of frustration on her face. 

“She was our target, not a part of our team.” Raven walked right over to Clarke and stared into her eyes. “There’s nothing we can do for her now. You have to trust that she’s going to be okay.” 

Clarke felt like everything was moving too quickly. She could see the annoyance on Raven’s face as she waited for a response from her. 

“I have to go back.” Clarke watched Raven’s face drop. 

Instead of getting more upset, she put her hands on Clarke’s shoulders. “Clarke, you’ll lose your job. You’ll lose everything we’ve worked for.” Raven’s dark eyes were a mixture of sympathy and anger. 

“If that happens, I can live with it. If I lose her, I don’t know what I’ll do,” Clarke confessed, hoping she’d understand. “I can’t just sit around when she could die.”   
Raven pursed her lips tightly and closed her eyes, taking in Clarke’s words. She let her hands drop heavily to her sides. 

“What am I supposed to tell them when you’re not here?” Raven opened her eyes.

Clarke knew she didn’t agree with her choice, but she wasn’t going to fight her anymore. 

“You can tell them you tried to stop me. Show them this.” Clarke took a step back and Raven looked at Clarke in confusion. 

“Show them wh-” Before Raven could finish Clarke reared back and punched her right in the eye. “I’m so sorry.” Clarke apologized as she grabbed her leather jacket and started for the door. 

“You better pray we don’t see each other for a long time!” Raven called after her as she cupped her face in her hands. 

Clarke rushed out of the room and let the door click shut behind her. There was no turning back now. She had followed her heart and chosen Lexa. 

She jogged out of the hotel and down the sidewalk toward the casino. She could feel the sweat starting to form on her forehead as she weaved between the crowds of people walking around the street. She couldn’t stop thinking about Lexa and making sure she was alright. 

Clarke wiped the sweat away from her face as the doors to the casino slid open. She walked directly to the elevators and just as they came into view, she stopped in her tracks. She realized she had no way to get to the 12th floor without a card. She hadn’t thought about that after the alone time she had shared with Lexa. 

“Shit.” Clarke murmured, scanning the crowd and hoping she would spot her friend who had let her up earlier. No luck. 

Without Raven, she had no tech or way to bypass the system. She had to resort to some of her old tricks. She scanned the room again and spotted an older looking man in a green vest.   
Clarke’s plan quickly took shape as she stumbled over to him. She reached out and grabbed his arm, nearly knocking him over. Her other hand went into his vest pocket to try and find the plastic card that would get her up to the 12th floor. 

“So sorry.” Clarke slurred as she kept the man upright and grabbed the card out of his pocket. “I think I should head back to my room.” Clarke skillfully slid the card into her back pocket as she released the man’s arm. 

“Do you need help getting back up to your room, ma’am?” The man straightened his green vest with a smile of forced politeness on his face. 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Clarke grinned, turning away and waving her arm in the air. “Have a wonderful evening.” 

Once she was far enough away, she picked up her pace back to the banks of elevators. Clarke’s heart was racing as she pressed the up arrow on the panel and waited impatiently for the doors to open. 

Clarke pulled the card out of her back pocket and pressed it against the inside panel, just as she saw the man do earlier when he let her up to the 12th floor. She pressed the button and let out a sigh of relief when the button stayed lit. 

Her victory was short-lived, however. Just as the doors were starting to close, a young couple jumped onto the elevator and pressed the ‘6’ button on the panel. 

Clarke resisted the urge to toss them both out of the elevator. She didn’t have time or patience for anything other than getting to Lexa. She clenched her fists tightly as the doors closed and the elevator started to move slowly upward. 

The couple giggled and kissed, either not knowing or caring that they weren’t alone on the elevator. Clarke became aware of just how small the space was when the man’s hand started to move up the girl’s top. 

Clarke was now restraining herself from pummeling both of them. She envied their happiness and how carefree they were as they pressed their bodies together. She let her mind travel back to her time with Lexa in the suite. It made her heart ache even more thinking about how far away that seemed. There was a sharp pang in her chest as she wondered if they would ever get a chance to be together again. 

After what felt like an eternity, the elevator finally stopped on the 6th floor and the couple tumbled out in a mess of laughter and exposed skin. 

The doors closed and Clarke watched the numbers over the door move up. Before the doors opened on the 12th floor suite, Clarke knew something was wrong. There was a hot metal smell coming through the crack in the door. She knew that smell all too well... gunfire. 

Clarke’s heart stopped when the doors opened and she saw the disaster in front of her. Furniture had been flipped and broken. There were four bullet holes in the wall in front of her and blood had dripped onto the plush carpeting. 

She ran out of the elevator and into Lexa’s room. Clarke gasped when her eyes found a body lying on the ground at the foot of the large bed. 

“Gus!” Clarke exclaimed, rushing over to him and dropping to her knees. “What happened?” She touched his arm gently and saw the deep red seeping through the front of his shirt. He didn’t have long. The blood had started to pool around his stomach on the ground. 

“Lexa,” Gus struggled to get up, but he could barely lift his head. “Called me. She had ordered dinner and thought she heard something outside on the balcony. By the time I got here, they already had her.” He gasped for air and Clarke could hear something wet rattling in the back of his throat. 

Clarke could see the grief on his face as he recalled Lexa’s capture. He tried to lift himself off the ground again. His tree trunk arms shook before he flopped back onto the ground with a painful grimace.

“Stay still.” Clarke instructed, looking around the room for any clue she could find. “Who took her?” 

“Nia’s people. There were three of them.” He coughed and Clarke watched blood drip from his lips. 

“I’ll call for help.” Clarke moved to rise, but Gus reached for her arm and his face contorted in pain. 

“No,” Gus coughed again and blood trickled down his cheek. “I’m not going to make it.” Clarke thought she saw Gus’ eyes glaze with tears. “Find Lexa, please.” 

His arm fell weakly to his side as he looked at Clarke a tear finally escaping and sliding down his face. “They’ll have her at the warehouse.” He closed his eyes to compose himself before speaking again. “Go. Save our girl.” He grunted, opening his eyes and waving her away feebly. He took two more rattling breaths before his eyes closed for good.

Clarke hesitated for only a second as she looked down at Gus. She knew that he had been by Lexa’s side since she was a child. It had been his job to protect her and in that time he had grown to care about her. He had been with her more than her own father and she knew Lexa cared for him too. “You did good, Gus.” Clarke whispered before getting up and bowing her head in a moment of mourning for the man. 

She knew she didn’t have long, though the grief in her chest threatened to suffocate her. It had been a long time since Clarke had felt so alone. She didn’t have Raven or any of her equipment to try and rescue Lexa. Clarke chewed on her lips as her mind worked in overtime trying to think of her next move. She looked back down at Gus and saw his sidearm next to his motionless body. She reached down and grabbed it, checking the clip she saw he only got one shot off before they took him down. 

Clarke pulled out the pocket knife that she knew was in the pocket of her leather jacket and stuffed it in her boot. Taking out an entire ring of drug dealers with a handgun and pocket knife... good thing Clarke always liked a challenge. She sighed, thinking of Raven and missing her voice in her ear. 

She took a deep breath and ran back to the elevator. Clarke was just about to press the button to call the cart when the doors slid open. She took a step back as a silver cart rolled into the suite.   
“Room service.” It was the hostess from the dinner with Lexa. It was Crissy. Clarke remembered her name was Crissy. 

The girl’s voice trailed off as she walked into the room and saw the carnage. She walked to the opposite side of the cart and looked at Clarke. “What happened?” She asked. Clarke noticed her left hand fidget as she looked back at the destroyed sitting room. 

“A lot.” Clarke answered, trying to get around the cart and into the elevator. 

“They knew you’d come back here.” 

Clarke froze, a chill shooting up her spine as she looked over the cart at Crissy, who had a sly grin on her face. Before she could move, the cart came crashing into her body. The force slammed Clarke into the wall next to the elevator, her head bouncing hard off the cement wall.

Clarke fell to the ground, her head spinning and her vision going in and out of focus. In the blink of an eye, Crissy was on top of her, pinning her down to the floor. 

“Nia is looking forward to meeting you.” Crissy pulled a rag from her pocket and shoved it into Clarke’s face, covering her mouth and nose. “She’s heard so much.” She smiled wickedly and Clarke felt herself starting to slip into unconsciousness. 

The last thing she remembered before the world went dark was Crissy lifting her into the cart and pulling a white sheet down to cover her. She opened her mouth to try and call out, but she passed out before any sound came out. 

When she could open her eyes again, she felt like she had been run over by a truck. She was tied to a metal chair in the middle of a room filled with heavy machinery. Crissy was off to the side sitting on a long wooden table kicking her legs out in front of her like a small child. “Hello there, sunshine.” 

Crissy hopped off the table and skipped over to where Clarke was bound, a huge smile on her face. “Have a nice nap?” 

“Get away from her!” Lexa’s voice called out and Clarke craned her neck around to see that Lexa was also tied up about ten yards away. 

“Shut up Lexa,” Crissy spat, turning to Lexa aggressively. “You aren’t making the rules anymore.”

“Where am I?” Clarke struggled against her restraints. 

“Nia’s place, of course.” Crissy turned her attention back to Clarke and put a smile back on her face. “She’s got plans for you.” 

“If you touch her,” Lexa yelled to Crissy. Clarke could see she was struggling to get free too. 

Crissy whipped around and stormed over to Lexa, her hands in tight fists. Clarke finally got a good look at Lexa and saw that she had a large gash on her right cheek. 

“What exactly are you going to do, golden child?” Crissy blocked Clarke’s view of Lexa as she leaned over her threateningly. “You have no power. You are nothing.” Crissy was getting worked up with every word. 

“Stop!” Clarke tugged against the ropes that held her hands behind her back. She felt the material bite and burn her skin as she tried to get to Lexa. 

“Why are you doing this?” Lexa asked, trying to keep her voice even. Clarke knew she wanted answers and Lexa was smart enough to know she wouldn’t get any if Crissy was upset. 

Crissy laughed humorlessly. “There are so many reasons. Money, power, opportunity, vengeance.” 

“Vengeance?” Lexa sounded confused. “What did I ever do to you?” 

Without warning Crissy backhanded Lexa across her face. “Bitch.” Crissy hissed, bringing her hand back to hit Lexa again. 

“Enough!” A loud voice boomed through the room. Crissy immediately retreated, a look of fear on her face. 

“The rule was that she wasn’t to be harmed.” Mr. Woods walked into the room and straightened his tie. 

“Hello girls.” His gaze went from Lexa to Clarke as he pulled out a pair of pliers from his inside jacket pocket.


	6. Dead Mans Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, but I love this story and want to see it through! I hope you like the latest chapter. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: @anonfanfic

“What the hell?” Clarke exclaimed as Crissy let out a high-pitched cackle in the corner. Clarke looked over at Lexa to try and get some sort of explanation, but she looked completely broken by the appearance of her father. 

 

“There’s no need for that language, Clarke,” Mr. Woods scolded her, as if it was completely normal for him to be walking into a room where his only child was tied to a chair. He started to walk over to her, holding the pliers menacingly. 

 

“Dad, what are you doing?” Lexa finally spoke, her voice matching the expression on her face. 

 

Mr. Woods froze when he heard Lexa’s voice behind him. 

 

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this Lexa.” He didn’t turn to look at his daughter. He dropped his head in frustration. “You weren’t supposed to be involved.” 

 

“Have you been working with Nia?” Lexa asked urgently. Clarke could see her tugging at the ropes behind her back. 

 

Mr. Woods finally turned to Lexa and put the pliers in his inside jacket pocket. “Our line of work is an ever-changing business. To keep our family safe and on top, certain sacrifices needed to be made,” he explained, walking over to where Lexa was tied up. 

 

“That doesn’t make any sense. Nia killed Anya and her team. She has tried to take us down for years.” Lexa’s face was turning red with frustration. 

 

“Nia’s team has felt the same pressures we have.” Mr. Woods voice had an edge to it and Clarke watched Lexa retract slightly in her seat. “When she came to me with the idea, at first I was sceptical too. After all, our families have been at war for as long as I can remember. But as we talked, she gave me some valuable information.” 

 

“What information?” Lexa spoke boldly, trying with everything she had inside of her to defy her father. 

 

“You know what information. The fact that we had a spy, a plant working for us.” Mr. Woods turned to look at Clarke with fire in his eyes. “Nia had her own source that let me know this plant worked for a bounty hunter who would bring down our entire operation if given the chance.” 

 

Mr. Woods snapped his head back to look at his daughter. “What Nia  _ didn’t _ tell me, I should say... what Nia was unaware of herself... was that you were fucking the plant.” By the end of his sentence, Mr. Woods was yelling, his deep voice booming off the walls in a harsh echo. 

 

The veins in the man’s neck were protruding under his starched collar as he continued, “Sleeping with the enemy sounds poetic, my dear daughter, but I promise you things get messy quickly.” He put his hands up and gestured around them. “I suppose we both have come to realize that now.”

 

Lexa’s head dropped despite herself. Clarke was sure Lexa had lived with her father’s intimidation long enough that this was just her default response when he got upset. Clarke wanted to scream at him; she hated the way that he spoke to her. Mr. Woods took the opportunity while Lexa looked cornered to continue berating her. 

 

“Did you know you were screwing one of the top agents in The 100? One of the most elite groups of bounty hunters in the country, possibly the world?” Mr. Woods leaned down in front of his daughter and put his hands on his knees as he spoke. “Your grandfather warned me about letting you run the family business. He told me you were too weak to stand by our family’s ways. He told me that you would be the one to bring everything down on our heads... on my head!” 

 

Lexa looked up with a mixture of anger and hurt on her face. “Shut up,” she said through clenched teeth. “You don’t know me at all.” 

 

Mr. Woods put his face closer to Lexa and sneered. “I know enough to know that I had to take control before you lost everything.” 

 

He stood up and straightened his suit. “I ensured our family’s future by agreeing to merge with Nia. Together, we will take the control back from the bounty hunters that are trying to take it from us. We now have a common enemy to fight against and with our power and resources combined, our victory is all but assured.” 

 

He walked back to the center of the room and looked at Crissy. “I paid some of our more loyal workers a fair amount to keep their eyes on Clarke. You were never part of this plan. You made me do this.” He put his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He glanced up at Lexa with a mournful look on his face. “Now, you’ve left me no choice. Your fate will be the same as the spy.” 

 

“Clarke,” Lexa spoke clearly. “Her name is Clarke.” 

 

Mr. Woods looked at his daughter and Clarke thought he saw a little bit of pride flash across his face. “Well, you and Clarke will be held here until Nia and I can meet and decide what will be done.” He cleared his throat and two men walked into the room. They looked like they had been carved from the side of a mountain. 

 

“Take them to the holding room,” Mr. Woods instructed, turning his back on the three girls. “Crissy, you can go back to work,” he added, still not turning around. 

 

The small girl jumped off the counter and shot Lexa a dirty look before bouncing out of the room gleefully. One of the mountain men walked to Clarke and the other went over to Lexa. They easily untied their hands and scooped them up like rag dolls. Clarke tried to fight, but these guys weren’t moving an inch no matter what she did. 

 

The men took them to what Clarke assumed was the back of the warehouse and opened a large, heavy-looking door. Lexa was thrown in first and Clarke yelled in protest before the man holding her tossed her into the dimly lit room too. She landed hard on her knees and fell to her side on the cold cement floor. The room smelled like old, moldy wood and something acidic that Clarke couldn’t place.

 

The door closed with a loud slam and Clarke tried to recover from being thrown down onto the floor. She felt a burning behind her knee, but shook it off quickly. What she needed to do right now was assess the situation and make sure Lexa was alright. Her training had taught her to protect herself and make sure she got out, but her heart pulled her to Lexa and all the feelings she had developed for her. 

 

“Lexa?” Clarke called, squinting into the semi-darkness trying to find the other girl. “Are you okay?” 

 

“Yeah,” Lexa’s voice was weak and sad. “I just can’t believe he did all of that behind my back.” Her shoulders sagged and the look on her face was one of utter defeat. 

 

Clarke got on her hands and knees and started to crawl over to Lexa on the other side of the room. She winced as she put her weight on her left knee, knowing something was either pulled or torn; she prayed for the latter. She moved gingerly on it, needing to make sure Lexa was safe.

 

“Hey,” Clarke reached Lexa and put her hand on her shoulder, but Lexa pulled away. Clarke sat down and put her hands in her lap, pushing down the hurt that Lexa’s rejection caused. Instead, she looked Lexa up and down as well as she could in the darkness, trying to see if she had gotten injured at all. After a few minutes, she tried to speak again. “It’s not your fault. You were trying to do the right thing.” 

 

Lexa shook her head as it dropped to look at the cement floor. “Where did that get me?” Lexa sniffed softly and Clarke knew she was crying. 

 

“For what it’s worth,” Clarke took a deep breath and pressed her fingers into the hard floor to try and push the rest of her words out. She wasn’t used to being this vulnerable with anyone. “I’m glad you did. I can’t imagine my life without you now.” 

 

Clarke chanced reaching out and putting her hand on Lexa’s leg. “We found each other. Isn’t that something?” She waited a minute and was relieved that Lexa didn’t pull away. 

 

It was a few more minutes before Lexa looked up at Clarke. Her nose was red and tears streaked down her cheeks. Lexa nodded slowly and smiled sadly, pursing her lips and swallowing. She reached up and put her hand on Clarke’s cheek. “It’s everything.” 

 

Clarke leaned into the touch, thankful that Lexa was opening up to her again. She moved closer to Lexa and placed a light kiss on her lips. “Amazing how one person could become my entire world so quickly,” she whispered with her eyes still closed. Clarke took a sharp intake of breath at her confession. She didn’t want to open her eyes and see the look on Lexa’s face. 

 

“Did I say that out loud?” Clarke cringed as she opened one eye, and then the other. 

 

Thankfully, Lexa was smiling at her in the darkness. “You did. I’m glad you did.” 

 

Clarke couldn’t help but laugh as she looked around and then looked back at Lexa. “We would be confessing our feelings for each other while we’re being held prisoner.” 

 

Lexa took a beat before joining in, “I wish it were different. I want a lifetime with you, not just however long we have left.” 

 

“Don’t talk like that.” Clarke pulled her close and kissed the side of her head. “We’re going to get out of this.” 

 

Lexa’s head dropped onto Clarke’s shoulder as they fell silent in the dark room. Clarke’s arm wrapped protectively around Lexa and her hand moved up and down her arm. She let her thoughts move towards finding a way out of this situation... any way out possible. As long as Lexa made it out safe, that was all that mattered. 

 

Clarke looked around the room and saw that there was a single sink and a toilet in the corner. The only thing blocking it from the rest of the room was a short half wall. Other than that, there was only pipes on the ceiling and coming down the wall to the sink and toilet. She wondered if it would be possible to loosen one of the pipes enough to use it as a weapon. 

 

Before she could get up to see if she was able to do it, she heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Lexa’s head jerked up and she stood as the door started to rattle. Clarke got up too, her knee nearly buckling when she put weight on it. 

 

The door opened and light from the bright hallway flooded the room. Clarke squinted and saw a small, slim silhouette surrounded by two boulders.

 

“Hello ladies,” Crissy stepped into the room, the two large men behind her in the doorway. “I hope you enjoy your accommodations. We tried to get you something by the water, but that didn’t work out.” 

 

“Crissy, why are you doing this?” Lexa asked, taking a step forward. 

 

“Why?” Chrissy walked over to Lexa and Clarke automatically stepped in between the two women. Crissy looked up at Clarke and laughed. “What a protector we have here.” 

 

Her gaze fell back on Lexa and her eyes darkened. “I’m doing this because not all of us were born with a silver spoon in our mouths. Not all of us were handed the perfect life and were willing to throw all of it away,” she spat. 

 

“If you know what my family does, how can you say I was throwing it away?” Lexa retorted, her body pressing against Clarke’s as she spoke. “How could you do this?” 

 

An evil smirk appeared on Crissy’s face, looking even more sinister in the dark shadows the room cast. “Money is power and power is everything. It doesn’t matter how you get it... it’s what you do with it once you have it.” 

 

“If this is about money, I can get you money. Just let us go and I’ll set you up for life,” Clarke promised her. 

 

“Please, I’m not as stupid as she is,” Crissy’s nodded her head towards Lexa. “I know a good thing when I have it.” Clarke felt Lexa pressed against her even more, wanting to hurt Crissy for the things that she was saying. “I’m also not stupid enough to cross Mr. Woods. I’m not stupid enough to piss off Nia either, who is waiting for both of you right now.” Crissy’s smile grew as she looked from Clarke to Lexa and back again. 

 

Clarke felt Lexa tense behind her. She reached back and took Lexa’s hand. Clarke had never met Nia, but she had a reputation and that reputation was of a brutal and ruthless woman. If Clarke was going to get them out of this, or at least get Lexa out of this, she was running out of time to do it. 

 

“I just hope she lets me watch whatever she’s going to do to both of you,” Crissy leaned close to Lexa and whispered. Clarke grabbed Lexa’s hand tighter as she felt her reach up to try and hit Crissy. “Am I getting under your skin?” Crissy tilted her head happily, looking positively joyful at the reaction she was getting from Lexa. Clarke lifted her arm and pushed Crissy out of Lexa’s face. 

 

Crissy looked over at Clarke with hatred in her eyes. The world had truly done something to this girl to make her this angry. It looked like the small girl wanted to punch Clarke, and part of her truly wished she would. Though Clarke knew she wouldn’t be able to do much damage with the two goons standing so close by. They stared at each other, neither blinking or moving an inch. Lexa was nearly pulling at Clarke’s arm, wanting her own piece of Crissy too. 

 

“Take them to Nia. If they resist, do what you have to do,” Crissy instructed, moving so the two men could walk into the room and grab Clarke and Lexa again. 

 

Clarke felt the strong arms wrap around her body again and this time didn’t fight it. She would need all of her energy if Nia was even half as bad as her reputation made it seem. Clarke felt her hand slip out of Lexa’s as she was lifted off the ground. As she was carried into the hallway and toward an uncertain fate with Nia, she promised herself that she wouldn’t let anything happen to Lexa. She couldn’t let anything happen to Lexa. 

 


	7. Show Your Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the latest installment! 
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Clarke tried to concentrate on anything other than the squeezing pressure in her chest. In just a few minutes, she was going to be in the presence of one of the most lethal women in America. She needed to be on her toes; every bit of training she had ever had was going to come into play now.  
“I hope whatever she has planned is slow,” Crissy whispered as she skipped past Clarke in the narrow hallway leading to the main room. She opened the door so the men could walk in. Clarke’s eyes immediately searched the room until they found Nia sitting in a simple folding chair at a small metal table. 

Nia’s light blue pantsuit looked out of place in the grimy warehouse. She carefully examined her fire-red nails as Clarke and Lexa were brought over to her. She looked up when they were placed in the two identical chairs facing her. The men didn’t bother to tie them up; they just stood directly behind them. A small smile appeared on her face, though it looked nowhere near a friendly greeting. 

“Lexa,” Her cloudy gray eyes locked on Lexa. “I’ve been wanting to meet you.” 

She puts her hands in her lap, her back straight and the smile never leaving her face. “I’m sorry it had to be under such unsavory circumstances.” Nia picked invisible lint from her pants and ran her hands down the fabric to straighten it. It was quite clear how out of place Nia was in this environment. 

“I wish I could say meeting you under any circumstances would be a pleasure.” Lexa gave Nia a tight smile and leaned forward as far as she could, Clarke felt the men behind her tense with the sudden movement. “But I can’t.” 

Clarke watched as a dangerous expression darkened Nia’s features. Her eyes flashed and her red lips curled into a dangerous sneer. Clarke turned to look at Lexa and try to tell her to back off without saying anything. When she turned her head, she saw an equally dangerous expression on Lexa’s face as she looked right back at Nia from across the table. 

Clarke had never seen such a dark look on Lexa’s face before. It made a chill run up her spine. She realized as she looked at her that Lexa had been living under the threat of this woman her entire life. Now they were face-to-face and it didn’t seem like Lexa had any intention of holding back. 

“I’m not sure you’re in any position to test my patience,” Nia tilted her head, challenging Lexa to speak again. 

“I was never the best student, so don’t test me,” Lexa responded. Judging from her tone, Clarke could tell she wasn’t going to back down. She was calling Nia’s bluff. 

Clarke had to push down the feelings of pride that swelled inside of her. Sometimes she forgot the world Lexa grew up in, what she had been taught all her life, how that had hardened her. It didn’t make it any easier to see the way Nia was looking at her in this moment. She looked like a hungry wolf circling her prey. 

“If you are under the delusion that your father holds any stock in keeping you alive, you are mistaken.” Nia leaned forward and put her fingertips firmly on the table, lifting out of her chair slightly in her anger. After a beat, she seemed to regain her composure and sat back down, leaning back in her chair. 

“If you think I’ve depended on my father for anything, I believe you’re delusional.” Lexa set her jaw and looked at Nia with such intensity, Clarke thought the older woman might burst into flames at any moment. 

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her mind was racing with ways to escape. Clarke knew that Nia would be happy to end both of them given half a chance, and Lexa seemed intent on increasing those odds. 

Clarke carefully reached out with her foot to try and nudge Lexa. She knew Lexa must be hurting badly, more than she could ever understand. In one night her entire world had been turned on its head. She felt Lexa’s foot press into her own, letting Clarke know she had gotten her message as she kept her eyes on Nia across the table. 

Nia’s eyes narrowed slightly and very slowly her gaze moved over to Clarke. “You have been very quiet. Are you that surprised we weeded you out? I was nearly able to kill that little partner of yours too.” 

Clarke’s body tensed when Nia brought up Raven. It felt like a lifetime ago that she had heard her voice in her head. At least she knew that Raven had made it out before Nia’s people got to her. 

“Not really,” Clarke answered honestly, having nothing much to lose at this point. She was happy to keep Nia’s attention on her for as long as possible. “Really, I don’t know what took you so long. As Mr. Woods said, I was screwing my target… not like I was on top of my game.” Clarke lifted an eyebrow in a gesture to challenge Nia. Her goal now was to wipe the cocky grin off of Nia’s face. 

Nia’s cheek twitched slightly and she cleared her throat softly before speaking again, “I found out in enough time to properly take care of you. Now my patience has worn thin and you’ve given me a headache.” Her eyes squeezed shut, taking two of her long red-nailed fingers and pressing them into her temples.

After a brief moment, her eyes flashed open and she took one of her hands off her head and motioned to the giant men behind Clarke and Lexa. They walked over, one of them leaning forward so Nia could whisper instructions into his ear. He pulled up when she had finished and gave her a single jerk of his head in understanding. The man wordlessly motioned to the other and they walked to a door off to the right of the main room and disappeared through it. 

“I think it’s time we eradicate my problem once and for all.” Nia stood up slowly and looked confidently at both Clarke and Lexa. 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Lexa spoke and Clarke’s head snapped over to her just as she leapt up from her chair and plunged a jagged piece of metal into Nia’s chest. Clarke stood up, pushing away her shock and letting her instincts kick in. 

Nia was staring wide-eyed at both of them, one of her hands moving up to touch the piece of metal, that looked like it was removed from one of the chairs they had been sitting on, before dropping limply to her side. A blossom of color, that matched her nails, appeared on her blazer. Her mouth sputtered a few times before she fell with a loud thud to the ground. 

Clarke reached over and grabbed Lexa’s hand, pulling her toward what looked like the exit. She could only hope it would lead them to freedom. 

“We need to go now,” Clarke heard herself speak, mingled with the loud thumping of her heart pounding in her ears. She knew they had limited time to try and get out before the men came back and found Nia’s body crumpled on the dirty warehouse floor. 

Clarke reached out for the handle; as she touched it, the door swung open and Crissy’s surprised face appeared on the other side. Before Clarke could react, Lexa let go of her hand and stepped forward, punching Crissy squarely in the nose. The small girl dropped immediately to the ground with a howl of pain. Her hands flew up and covered her nose as her body writhed on the ground. 

“Nice shot!” Clarke couldn’t help but admire Lexa’s aim. She took Lexa’s hand once again and gave it a squeeze. Lexa smiled and squeezed Clarke’s hand gratefully, letting her lead them out of the room. They jumped over Crissy’s body as the girl spat and swore loudly at them through her hands. 

They moved down one hallway and through another door into a small room with tables and chairs all around. It looked like it could have been used for some sort of eating area. 

Clarke, still holding Lexa’s hand, ran across the room and pulled open another door that lead into another narrow hallway. “This place is a maze,” Clarke sighed in exasperation. 

They took off into the new hallway, getting about half a dozen steps into the hall before an explosion shook the entire building. Clarke misstepped, losing her grip on Lexa’s hand and falling onto her injured knee, which crunched beneath her. The pain sent sparks of white in front of her eyes. She bit her lower lip and turned her head to look back at Lexa, who had caught herself on one of the walls. 

“I don’t know if I can get up,” Clarke grimaced, feeling the pain from her leg moving up her thigh. “You should go, get help and I’ll try and find a way to move.” 

Lexa shook her head, trying to move toward Clarke slowly, her arm hanging loosely next to her. Clarke could tell it was out of socket. 

“Either we both get out or neither of us do.” Lexa struggled to speak through gritted teeth. 

Lexa reached out to Clarke with her good hand. Just as Clarke was going to reach out, there was another even louder explosion that knocked Lexa back and off her feet. Chunks of the ceiling rained down and Clarke put her arms over her head to try and protect herself from the debris that fell around them. 

“Lexa!” Clarke called out, lifting her head and looking around the hallway that was quickly filling with smoke. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes burn as the smoke thickened. Clarke gagged and choked on the hot air that now surrounded her. “Le-xa!” Clarke coughed, trying to get her eyes to focus on the spot where she thought Lexa had fallen. 

“Clarke!” She heard Lexa scream out through the veil of smoke that seemed to be consuming her senses. Clarke felt a burst of adrenaline push through her pain and help lift her up. She knew that she needed to get to Lexa in that moment. 

A sharp pain in her knee stopped her from moving and her body fell to the ground again. Through the smoke she saw Lexa’s form with two other forms on either side of her. 

“No!” Clarke cried, once again choking on the smoke. “Stop! Take me!” Clarke was clawing desperately at the floor beneath her, trying to get to Lexa any way she could. 

The last thing Clarke saw before darkness overtook her was Lexa being carried out of the hallway yelling for her at the top of her lungs.


	8. Big Blind

Clarke’s eyes opened slowly, her vision was blurred as the lights in the room hit her. She breathed in through her nose, expecting to smell burning, ash, or maybe even sulfur. What she did smell surprised her, drew her more out of the fog she seemed to be trapped in. 

She inhaled through her nose again and smelled the same strong chemical smell of cleaning solution. Had Mr. Woods captured her and was now planning on torturing her before letting her die? Clarke didn’t even know if Lexa was still alive. Surely her father wouldn’t kill her. Though there was still a seed of doubt in the back of Clarke’s mind. 

Thankfully Nia wouldn’t have the chance to touch her. Clarke had read her file and it painted a colorful picture of a woman who liked to torture her victims, body, mind, and soul. Nothing seemed to be off limits. Clarke found a glimmer of happiness in the fact that her body was hopefully still laying in that dirty, burning factory. Her perfect nails starting to peel and bubble in the heat. Her clean, pressed suit covered in soot and grime. 

“Holy hell, are you up yet?” 

Clarke’s heart jumped like a rabbit in her chest when she heard the familiar voice. Her eyes focused on Raven’s silhouette leaning against what she assumed was the doorframe of the room she was in. 

“Raven?” Clarke’s voice barely came out, her throat and mouth painfully dry and her lips cracking slightly with the movement. She watched as Raven walked over to her bed and picked something up from the table next to her. 

“Here,” Raven put something to Clarke’s lips. “Small sips. I’m not cleaning up your vomit.”

Clarke opened her mouth just enough for the straw to slide past her lips. The water felt cool and amazing in her mouth. It took all of her willpower not to drink the entire glass. 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Raven took the straw out of her mouth even as Clarke started to protest. “You’ll get more later. Feel like sitting up?” 

Clarke nodded, her vision still going in and out of focus. She felt the bed she was in start to rise slowly, her head spinning slightly. 

“How..what..” Clarke didn’t even know where to begin and it was so painful to speak, she wasn’t sure if she could. 

Raven’s face came into view fully for the first time since she entered the room. It was an odd comfort seeing her partner standing next to her, even though it was equal parts confusing. Raven reached over and grabbed a chair from the corner and pulled it next to Clarke’s bed. 

“Well, when we got pulled and you punched me in the face - thanks by the way,” Raven gave Clarke a look so familiar, she almost laughed. “I got back to base and realized you wouldn’t make it out alive without me. Guess who was right again?” Raven’s look changed to another familiar expression: smugness. Though Clarke couldn’t deny she was right. 

“I traced you from Lexa’s penthouse to that warehouse they brought you to. I had to wait for back up before we could move in.” Raven looked down at her hands and her face dropped. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get there sooner.” 

Clarke’s heart jumped again, but this time it was panic that caused the palpitation. Raven’s mood shift and apology made her fear the worst for Lexa. 

“What do you mean?” Clarke asked, not even bothering to keep the urgency out of her hoarse voice. “Do you know if Lexa got out?”

“The building burned. Anyone who didn’t make it out suffocated, burned, or was crushed under the rubble.” Raven looked up at Clarke. “I don’t know if she got out.” 

“What do you mean you don’t know?!” Clarke exclaimed, trying to lift herself up in bed, but falling back down when her vision started to tunnel. 

“Clarke,” Raven put a hand out and stood up. “You need to rest. You’ve been out for almost a week. When we first brought you in, they didn’t know if you’d be able to walk again.” 

“I don’t care about any of that shit,” Clarke tasted a copper tinge come from the back of her throat as her voice rose. “I need to know if she made it out. You are supposed to know everything, right? Where is she?” Clarke stared up at Raven and suddenly felt like she could jump out of bed and take on everyone in the facility until she got answers. Her muscles tensed as she tried to pull herself out of bed. 

“Clarke, stop.” Raven sat up and put her hand on Clarke’s chest to stop her from hurting herself. She shot Raven a look of warning, but laid back in her bed as she felt her body starting to ache. 

“You know as well as I do that if they don’t want information getting out, no one can know, not even me.” Raven removed her hand and sat back in her chair. “I tried, because I knew you’d ask. I did everything I could to figure out if she made it out.” 

Clarke closed her eyes and, like an image burned into her mind, she saw Lexa’s silhouette reaching out to her through the smoke. 

“Someone had her. I couldn’t get to her and I couldn’t see who, but someone took her out of the room before I could stop them.” Clarke opened her eyes to see Raven with an unusual expression on her face: pity. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Reyes,” Clarke sighed. “Just help me find out who took her.” 

Raven shook the expression off her face. It was replaced with a much more serious one. She leaned forward and swallowed hard before she spoke. 

“If I dig too much, they are going to figure what I’m looking for and she’ll disappear forever,” Raven whispered. “You know that, right?” 

“It’s worth it if I can know she’s okay.” Clarke leaned forward and winced a little bit, knowing she had overdone it earlier. “Please, I know you don’t owe me a damn thing. But I can’t live with myself without knowing she’s okay.” 

Raven gave a deep, heaving breath and leaned back in her chair. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb. It took a long minute before she looked back at Clarke.

“After being partners with you for so long, you’d think I’d be used to this shit,” Raven groaned and rubbed her face in her hand vigorously before standing up. “I’ll be back tomorrow and let you know if I find anything. If you don’t see me tomorrow…” She pursed her lips together, neither of them needed her to finish that sentence. The Hundred did not take kindly to even their own agents trying to get information they had hidden. 

Clarke and Raven both nodded at each other before Raven moved the chair back and she walked out of the room without another word. Clarke looked around the room and nothing jumped out at her. It was a simple room painted with a mixture of pale pinks and blues. There was a small counter with a sink by the only door in the room. The only window was small and didn’t look like it opened at all. 

She looked down and saw that she was covered in a blanket. Both of her arms had IVs attached, one looked to be giving her fluids of some kind and the other blood. Clarke didn’t have long to explore her surroundings before another familiar face walked in looking stern.

“Clarke,” Kane greeted her curtly, stopping at the foot of her bed and clasping his hands in front of his body. “I’m glad to see you’re awake.” 

“Could have fooled me,” Clarke responded without thinking. 

Kane’s eyes narrowed in warning as he cleared his throat loudly and another person she didn’t recognize, wearing a pristine suit, walked into the room holding Raven by the arm. 

“You will not look into the whereabouts of Lexa Woods. This is a warning that we don’t normally give. You have my word that she is fine.” Kane looked over to Raven who nodded her head as the man in the suit released his grasp. 

Clarke looked up at Kane unblinking. She felt a rush of relief knowing that Lexa was alright. She had so many questions and was frustrated by Kane’s instructions she couldn’t figure out where to begin. 

“Why can’t I see her?” Clarke demanded, once again pushing herself up in her bed. “What harm can it do to let me see her for five minutes?” 

“You have been with us for a long time, Clarke. Right now what I am asking for is trust in knowing that we extracted both of you from that building. Lexa is safe, but you cannot see her.” Kane’s tone had a level of finality to it that was almost like slamming a book shut. 

Clarke opened her mouth to protest again, but Kane put his hand up to stop her. He walked around her bed and leaned down so his face was level with Clarke’s as she stared back. 

“Don’t mistake our kindness in cleaning up your mess as weakness, Agent Griffin.” Kane’s voice was low, only meant for Clarke to hear. This time it was Clarke who narrowed her eyes at the man. Her whole body was beginning to shake as she fought the urge to wrap her hands around his neck and demand to see Lexa. 

“Fine,” she relented through gritted teeth. 

“Good,” Kane straightened up and looked over at the man who had brought Raven in and gave him a nod. The man nodded once back before turning and walking out of the room. 

“Ladies, I will not give another warning on this matter.” Kane looked at Clarke and then Raven before following the man out of the room. 

Clarke’s mind was already racing with thoughts, but only one truly mattered. 

How was she going to find Lexa?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: @anonfanfic 
> 
> Twitter: @sammy_jaybird
> 
> Let me know what you think about this chapter! Do you think Clarke will be able to get to Lexa?


	9. All or Nothing

Clarke could feel her mind starting to unravel as she was once again going through her exercises in rehabilitation. It had been weeks and Clarke was ready to scream. All she wanted to do was get out and try to find Lexa.

 

Raven had only been able to stop in a few times since their encounter with Kane. Most of their visits were closely monitored by an agent. The ones that weren’t supervised seemed brief. 

 

Clarke knew that Raven would be stopping by to see her at some point today. She knew she had to do something to communicate with Raven. She couldn’t take not knowing and feeling so helpless while she recovered.

 

When she got back to her room after therapy was done, she pulled out a pen and some paper. Clarke quickly scrawled a short note on the piece of paper for Raven before she left. 

 

_ ‘Raven, I need news. Anything. Is she okay?’ _

 

Clarke folded up the note and shoved it down the front of her shirt so no one would stumble upon it in her room. 

 

She threw the pen on her bedside table and filled her cheeks with air, making them puff out, before slowing letting it out. 

 

She knew this was crazy and she may be risking her own life, but Lexa was worth all the danger. 

 

When Raven walked into the room, Clarke’s heart sank when she saw the suited man following close behind her. It was one of those visits. This was going to make everything very difficult. 

 

“How are you feeling, Griffin?” Raven asked, pulling up a chair and completely ignoring the man who was now standing in the far corner of the room. He looked out of place, like some statue made of shadows trying to melt into the walls. 

 

Clarke turned her head to look at Raven, not wanting to acknowledge the man any longer. 

 

“I feel like I want to throw someone through a window,” Clarke responded with a set jaw as she glanced over at the man with his arm crossed in the corner. His gaze was straight ahead and his face looked like it was made of stone. 

 

“You’ll be out of here in a few more days.” Raven tapped Clarke’s leg gently over the thin blanket. Her gaze turned to look at the man too. 

 

“I’m sure Kane will have plenty of assignments where you’ll get to throw people through windows.” Raven gave Clarke a rare, comforting smile and pulled her hand away from her leg. 

 

There was a moment of silence as Raven and Clarke just looked at each other, both knowing how deep they were and what it had cost them. 

 

“I should go.” Raven stood up and pushed the chair back where it had been before she came to visit. “Kane wants to meet and brief about some new mission.” 

 

Clarke knew her opportunity was disappearing and she felt a panic creep up the back of her neck. She could feel a corner of the paper digging into her skin under her shirt. She had to get the note to Raven. 

 

“Wait,” Clarke stood up quickly from her bed and angled her body away from the man who was still staring at nothing in the corner. She skillfully reached into her shirt and pulled out the folded paper. She stuck it in her palm and reached out to grab Raven’s hand in a handshake. 

 

Raven’s face went from shock to confusion and then amusement as she watched Clarke pull out the note from her shirt. She shook her head and moved closer to give her a quick hug. Clarke was taken aback for a moment at Raven’s reaction. 

 

“You’re lucky I like you,” Raven whispered softly into Clarke’s ear and everything made sense after that. 

 

They pulled away and Clarke saw that Raven had somehow hidden the note somewhere during the hug. That was why she had been chosen to join the agency… she was good at not getting caught. 

 

“Thank you,” Clarke smiled, carefully getting back into bed. “Thank you for everything.” 

 

“Don’t go soft on me now,” Raven smiled as she started to walk out of the room. The man, who had been standing in the corner, followed right behind her as she left. 

 

Clarke pushed her head against her pillow and squeezed her eyes shut as she wished beyond anything else that Raven could find Lexa and make sure she was actually safe. 

 

“Are you ready for your evening medication?” A soft voice floated across the room.

 

Clarke opened her eyes and saw her nurse standing at the foot of her bed with a large smile on her face. She always seemed to be smiling. Clarke wondered how she kept a smile on her face dealing with all of the things she had to do. 

 

Clarke nodded and the nurse walked over with a tiny paper cup holding her pills in one hand and a large plastic cup with water in it. She handed the cups over to Clarke and watched as she downed the pills and settled herself into the hard, rubber hospital bed. 

 

It didn’t take long for Clarke to feel the effects of the pills. Her eyes felt heavy and her mind grew fuzzy as sleep took her. 

 

Some nights Clarke fell into a dark oblivion and she didn’t dream at all. That was when she got her best sleep. 

 

Most nights she dreamt about Lexa. It could be their first time together, intimate moments when it was just the two of them, and the worst dream was when they were both in a smoke-filled room and Clarke couldn’t get to Lexa. She could hear her calling out to her, but no matter what, she couldn’t find her. 

 

Tonight was a bad night. Clarke could tell right away. She could hear Lexa screaming her name like she was in pain. It was a horrible feeling. Clarke started to run through the dark. All she wanted was to get to Lexa and stop whatever was happening. Every turn she took lead her to another dead end. She tried to call out to her, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. 

 

Clarke could feel herself getting more upset by the second. She was choking on smoke and her movements were becoming more frequent and desperate the longer she heard Lexa’s cries. 

 

Clarke sat up in bed, a cold sweat running from her face, chest, and back. 

 

“Everything alright, Agent Griffin?” Kane was standing by Clarke’s bed in a blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. 

 

Clarke’s eyes darted around the room as she tried to shake off her dream and remember where she was now. She tried to calm her breathing, her eyes finally focusing on Kane. 

 

“Bad dream,” Clarke breathed deeply, sitting up more in bed. When she looked around the room, she saw another agent and Raven standing behind Kane. Her heart, which had just calmed down, began to pound against her chest. Kane cleared his throat and stepped forward. 

 

“I thought we talked about you not digging into subjects that are closed.” Kane looked at Clarke, but Clarke’s eyes were on Raven. 

 

Raven had her head down and was not looking at anything but the ground. She couldn’t believe they had been caught again. She had no idea what Kane was going to do to her this time. But Clarke didn’t care as she felt the anger starting to burn in her chest. Her gaze fell on Kane and she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. 

 

“I’ve given years of my life to this agency. I’ve put my life on the line more times than I can count,” Clarke spoke with a clenched jaw, trying to stop herself. 

 

“Enough,” Kane’s nose flared as he spoke over her. “You disobeyed direct orders, became intimate with a target, and made me waste valuable resources saving you and Lexa from that burning building.” Kane’s tone was loud and harsh. 

 

Clarke forced herself to sit up more in bed, refusing to back down now.

 

“Lexa wasn’t the target, her father was the target. She risked everything to get us information about him and his operation. She singlehandedly took down one of the top drug runners in the city while being held prisoner. I don’t understand why I can’t see her just once. If she’s safe, like you say she is, let me see her.” Clarke challenged Kane before looking over at Raven, who was still staring directly at the ground.

 

She looked back at Kane and saw that he was pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He didn’t speak for a few seconds. 

 

“You make good points. In fact, these were points that we took into consideration.” Kane made a motion with his hand and the other agent in the room left without a word. He came back quickly and he had someone with him.

 

Clarke felt her chest contract when Lexa walked into the room. 

 

“I’d like you to meet our newest agent, Lexa Woods.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! This story has been so fun to write. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Find me on:
> 
> Tumblr: anonfanfic  
> Twitter: sammy_jaybird


	10. Active Player

Clarke blinked a few times. Every time she opened her eyes she expected Lexa to be gone. She had dreamt of seeing Lexa again, but Clarke never thought about Kane bringing Lexa  right to her room.

 

She slowly got up from her bed, her eyes never leaving Lexa. The entire room was silent as she started to walk over to where Lexa was still standing just inside the room.

 

Clarke extended her hand and watched as Lexa reached out for her. She held her breath, still feeling like Lexa could disappear at any moment. It wasn’t until she felt Lexa’s fingers grasp her hand that she released the breath.

 

“You’re here,” Clarke breathed, resisting the urge to kiss Lexa in a room full of people. Instead she felt a spark of anger ignite inside of her and her head turned to Raven.

 

“You knew all of this and didn’t say anything?” Clarke’s eyes flickered in frustration at her partner and friend. “How could you do that to me?” she demanded, taking a step forward without letting go of Lexa’s hand.

 

Raven looked up and Clarke saw a sadness in her eyes that she didn’t expect. It almost made her second guess her words.

 

Before Clarke or Raven could say anything, Kane stepped in front of Raven and held up a hand. “She was under direct instruction from me to not saw a word to anyone.”

 

“Even me?” Clarke’s voice rose and her muscles tighten.

 

“Especially you!” Kane responded, matching Clarke’s volume. The veins in his neck and temples were clearly visible. “You’ve been with us long enough to know we don’t train outsiders. You are either born into the program or recruited into the program. The only reason Lexa was considered is because of _your last name_.” Kane emphasized the last three words, obviously trying to get through to Clarke that she was lucky to even be holding Lexa’s hand at this moment.

 

“My mom…” Clarke started.

 

Kane nodded in confirmation. “Your mother spoke to the right people at the right time. If I were you, Agent Griffin, I would be more grateful.”

 

Clarke wanted to protest, mainly because she had a stubborn streak that was burned into her DNA, but she stopped herself and stepped back to stand next to Lexa.

 

“Fine.” Clarke felt Lexa squeeze her hand gently and gave her a squeeze back, her heart flooding with emotion when she realized she could stop worrying about when she would see Lexa again.

 

“Now,” Kane cleared his throat and clasped his hands together. “With Agent Woods joining our ranks, we are going to shake up our teams. Agent Reyes will be with Agent Blake for the time being. Agent Griffin, you will be paired with Agent Woods.”

 

Clarke tried to hide the smile that crept over her face. She made a mental note to call her mother and thank her for pulling so many strings for her.

 

Kane shot Clarke a warning look before continuing. “While you are on missions, we expect you to behave accordingly.”

 

“Right.” Clarke rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself from interrupting. “So, don’t fuck on the job.”

 

“Clarke.” It was Raven who spoke up for the first time, looking directly into Clarke’s eyes. “Stand down.”

 

The two women stared at each other for a beat. Clarke was tempted to say something else, a dark piece of her really wanting to take a swipe at Raven, but she bit her tongue and dipped her head in a weak form of apology. Kane looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he just sighed and checked his watch.

 

“You’re set to be released tomorrow morning.” Kane changed the subject, looking first at Lexa and then Clarke. “It will still take a few days before you’re ready to be back out in the field. We will arrange for a car to come pick you up when you’re discharged.”

 

“I’ll pick her up,” Lexa spoke so quickly and quietly everyone in the room nearly missed what she said. “I mean, I can pick her up and get her home if that’s alright.” She spoke again, this time slower, looking right at Kane.

 

Kane’s jaw tightened, and he looked unenthused with Lexa’s offer. Clarke watched as he took a deep breath through his nose before nodding. “Fine, but Clarke you need to rest.”

 

Clarke considered making another sarcastic comment about her and Lexa screwing before they even left the parking lot, but decided against it when she saw the look on Kane’s face.

 

“Fine,” Clarke replied. “Is that all?”

 

Kane made a motion with his hand and the room began to clear out. Raven gave Clarke a single nod before disappearing out the door. Kane walked right behind her, but paused at the doorway and held up five fingers to Lexa before walking out.

 

Lexa and Clarke turned toward each other, alone for the first time since their reunion. Lexa reached up and ran her fingers lightly over Clarke’s cheeks.

 

“I can’t believe this is real. I missed you so much.” Lexa moved closer and gently pressed her forehead against Clarke’s, her hands now cupping Clarke’s face.

 

Clarke closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in the moment. It was perfect and she never wanted it to end. But she could feel the sharp blades of reality threatening to rip it apart and once again take Lexa away.

 

“I thought I lost you.” Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s waist. Her fingers grasping at the hem of Lexa’s shirt like she was her anchor to this world.

 

Lexa pulled back enough to kiss Clarke’s forehead. “You’ll never lose me. I’ll always be with you.”

 

Tears stung the back of Clarke’s eyes. She gave Lexa a small smile in return and leaned in to kiss her lips. When their lips met Clarke felt like she had come home after being lost for weeks. Their lips lingered in the tender kiss, neither one wanting to be the one who pulled away first.

 

Kane cleared his throat, once again standing in the doorway. He looked down at his polished, black shoes and Clarke could see a small smile curling the corners of his mouth when he finally did look up at them.

 

“It’s time to go.” He didn’t wait for a response and was gone just as quickly as he had appeared.

 

Lexa ran her hands up and down Clarke’s arms and smiled sweetly, “I’ll be back to get you tomorrow. Maybe we can pick up where we left off. This time with no interruption.”

 

Clarke smiled back, though she couldn’t shake the fear lingering in the back of her mind. If Lexa left, there was a chance she wouldn’t come back.

 

“I’ll see you soon.” Clarke gave Lexa one last kiss and watched her walk out of the room. She fought with everything inside of her not to run after Lexa, grab her, and never let her go again. She had to keep telling herself it would only be a few hours until they were together again, though even those few hours felt like a lifetime now that she knew Lexa was safe.

 

After awhile and a couple paced laps around her room, Clarke walked back to her bed. It took her a long time to finally get to sleep, and the nightmares weren’t far behind.

 

Clarke woke up with sweat clinging to her forehead and chest. Her breath came in short, quick bursts. She looked toward the only window in her room and saw that the sky outside looked like the pale gray of early morning. She wiped at her forehead, pushing her wet hair away from her face. The last thing she remembered before she woke up was falling through a burning building, her ears filled with Lexa’s pain-filled screams.

 

“Well, good morning.” An older looking nurse smiled brightly as she walked into the room. “I didn’t expect to see you awake this early.”

 

The nurse stopped short of walking over to Clarke’s bed, noticing the sweat still shining on her face and chest.

 

“Are you in pain?” the nurse asked, concern on her fairly wrinkled face. The nurse reached into her apron and pulled out a small towel, handing it to Clarke.

 

“No,” Clarke responded, taking the towel and quickly wiping her face. “Bad dream.”

 

“Ah, yes.” The older woman gently patted Clarke’s leg and smiled. “Sometimes those can bring the worst pain of all.”

 

Clarke watched as the woman’s expression started to crack and spark. Her face starting to melt and contort. She wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. The floor to the hospital room broke away, revealing huge flames starting to lick up from fissures in the floor. Clarke got up onto the bed and looked at the window that had started to shatter. Just as she leapt to jump through the glass, she heard Lexa’s voice scream her name.

 

This time when she woke up, Clarke almost fell out of bed. Her skin felt hot, almost too hot, and her entire body was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

 

“Clarke?” Lexa rushed over to the side of Clarke’s bed. “Are you okay? I was in the hallway and I heard you screaming.”

 

Clarke looked around and saw the confused and concerned faces of a few doctors and nurses. “I’m fine,” she stammered, grabbing for Lexa’s hand. She needed to know that this was real and not another nightmare.

 

Lexa squeezed Clarke’s hand and looked into her eyes, still not convinced.

 

“It was just a bad dream,” Clarke assured her, lifting their joined hands up and kissing the back of Lexa’s. “I’m glad you’re here.”

 

Lexa smiled down at Clarke, her face relaxing slightly as she swept away some of Clarke’s damp hair.

 

“Are you ready to go home?”

 

“More than you know.” Clarke smiled back, leaning up to kiss Lexa. She couldn’t care less if people were still in the room. All that mattered was the two of them, and nothing was going to seperate them again.  

 

It took what felt like eternity to get all of the paperwork in order for Clarke’s discharge. By the time the nurse came in to sign off, Clarke almost dragged Lexa out of the hospital and to the car.

 

The drive home was filled with Clarke running her hand up Lexa’s leg and wishing she could do more. She watched Lexa bite her lip, and inched closer to her waist.

 

“Patience,” Lexa cooed, her eyes remaining on the road even as her cheeks flushed with color.

 

“Has never been my strong suit,” Clarke murmured, pushing Lexa’s long hair away from her neck and placing a kiss there.

 

By the time they pulled into Clarke’s driveway, she was ready to tear every piece of clothing from Lexa’s body. She did everything she could to contain herself as they walked hand-in-hand to the door, but as soon as she unlocked it, she lost all control. Clarke pounced and pushed Lexa against the wall, shoving the door shut with her foot as her lips attacked every inch of skin she could reach.

 

Lexa’s hands moved to the hem of Clarke’s shirt and almost ripped it off her body. They stumbled deeper into the house, refusing to stop touching and kissing each other. Clarke’s shin collided with the corner of her coffee table, but she barely winced as she removed Lexa’s pants and underwear.

 

By the time they got to Clarke’s bedroom, neither of them had a stitch of clothing on. Clarke pushed Lexa onto the bed and stared down at her with a mixture of lust and wonder. Clarke’s lips were still buzzing with the feeling of kissing Lexa. Her eyes scanned Lexa’s naked form, taking in every perfect peak and valley of her body.

 

“Come here,” Lexa growled.

 

Clarke didn’t need any more prompting. She was on top of Lexa in less than a second. As their bodies tangled together, Clarke became whole.

 

Lexa’s teeth raked against Clarke’s collarbone, and a flash of pain, followed by a bigger jolt of pleasure, shot through her entire body. She tangled her hands in Lexa’s hair as her mouth latched onto Clarke’s nipple.

 

“Fuck,” Clarke moaned, pulling Lexa as close as possible. Her body was feeling things she never thought she’d experience again.

 

Clarke shifted her weight so their hips matched, grinding slowly against Lexa’s warm body. It was downright euphoric to touch Lexa’s skin, and pleasure built in the pit of her stomach. She heard Lexa groan deeply beneath her and smiled, knowing how turned on Lexa was getting.

 

She brought her mouth to Lexa’s ear. “I want to taste you,” she whispered, feeling Lexa’s body tremble beneath her. Lexa released Clarke’s nipple with a soft pop. Clarke slid down Lexa’s body, leaving soft kisses on random patches of exposed skin.

 

Clarke looked up at Lexa and saw her staring back, mouth hanging open in anticipation. She smiled and lowered her face between Lexa’s legs, watching her reaction as Clarke’s tongue snaked out and began slow strokes.

 

Lexa pushed her head against the bed with a loud moan, her hands tangling in Clarke’s hair. Lexa’s fingernails scraped against her scalp, and Clarke moved her tongue a little quicker. Lexa’s fingers tightened in her hair, but the mixture of pain and pleasure only drove Clarke on. She wanted to make Lexa feel amazing, to make sure Lexa never forgot how Clarke could make Lexa lose herself under her touch.  

 

“Shit, shit, shit…” Lexa moaned, her voice growing louder and more hoarse.

 

Clarke moved her hand down Lexa’s body until her palm rested over Lexa’s clit. She started to gently rub her palm over the sensitive area, watching as Lexa’s body rose to meet the soft friction.

 

“Please,” Lexa groaned, her hips completely off the bed. “More.”

 

Clarke grinned slyly and slid a finger inside Lexa. Her tongue moved and flattened against Lexa’s clit as she slowly inserted another finger. Lexa arched her back, her mouth hanging open with no sound coming out.

 

Clarke moved faster, and Lexa’s hips rose to meet her thrusts. It felt like they were one being, completely in tune to the other’s needs and desires.

 

“Clarke, I’m close.” Lexa’s voice came out in a rough whisper.

 

The words sent a shiver up Clarke’s spine. It was an incredible feeling to make someone you love more than anything in the world feel this good. Her free hand moved to Lexa’s hip and she relished the feeling of Lexa’s body trembling, her entire form attuned to Clarke’s touch. It was a fascinating experience watching another human completely unravel.

 

After a few more powerful thrusts Lexa’s entire body tightened as the waves crested over her. Lexa’s entire body looked in danger of lifting off the bed entirely. Clarke looked up to see Lexa’s eyes squeezed shut as her muscles continued to quake. Clarke’s tongue continued slow strokes as the tremors began to subside.

 

Clarke moved up Lexa’s still trembling body, placing gentle kisses on her stomach, chest, and jaw. Lexa’s eyes were half closed, but there was a satisfied smile on her full lips as she locked eyes with Clarke.

 

“You’re amazing,” Lexa whispered, lifting her arm so Clarke could cuddle in next to her. “Give me a minute and I’ll return the favor.”

 

Clarke place two quick kisses on Lexa’s cheek and was about to respond when a familiar ringing stopped her.

 

“Hold that thought.” Clarke rolled out of bed and grabbed the slim, silver phone from the side table. “Looks like Kane wants to see us right away. His timing has always been fantastic.”

 

Lexa got up from the bed, her legs wobbling for half a second before she collected her clothes.

 

“Why do I have a feeling this will be happening a lot?”

 

Clarke wiggled into her pants and walked over to Lexa.

 

“Don’t you worry, you will always be satisfied with me.” Clarke’s tongue peeked out playfully from between her lips.

 

Lexa leaned in and gave Clarke a kiss. “Wait until I get my turn,” she growled against Clarke’s mouth. “You won’t be able to go on any missions for weeks.”

 

Clarke laughed, joy filling her chest like never before. She never thought she’d ever get to experience these feelings in her life. She never thought she’d live long enough to fall in love.

 

Now she had a reason to live. She finally realized life was more than just surviving.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, like it or not there it is! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of this story. I'm sorry it took me so long to finish. I am proud that I stuck with it and got it done. 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @anonfanfic
> 
> Make sure to leave kudos or a comment if you liked the story!
> 
> Thank you!!


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